Publisher's Synopsis
In this first volume of ancient leaders, the lives, battles and accomplishments of three of the most renowned warrior kings are examined.Alexander the Great hastened historical change in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds, and his vision for a Panhellenic world stretched over two millennia after his death, crossing foreign cultures and religions, traditions and even nations far from his reach.He modeled himself after the hero Achilles of Trojan War fame, and was inspired by the legends of Hercules. He was fearless and sought to become one of the gods, ordained to unite the nations under his banner.Alexander the Great was the subject of many bright legends, both historical and imaginative, but he came to exemplify a heroic ideal in cultures from Egypt to Britain, and appears in Jewish, Christian and Islamic writings, making him one of the most powerful figures in ancient history.Charlemagne was the bridge between ancient and modern Europe and the spreader of Christianity among pagans to the north and south of Francia. He was an ingenious military strategist, a wise and ruthless leader, a cunning politician, and a devout believer who ensured the survival of Christianity in the West. He also believed himself above the rules of the church, and coldly ordered the execution of 4,500 prisoners. In an unprecedented act, he joined his military might and his monarchy to the power of the Church in Rome, giving him more power than any other king before him. He was the Holy Roman Emperor who fought against the legendary Vikings in the north, the Lombards in Italy, and everyone in between. His was the first empire to be established after the fall of Rome.Mongol leader Genghis Khan is believed by many to be greatest conqueror the world has ever known. His empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe, including all of China, the Middle East, and Russia. An illiterate nomad, he rose to such colossal power and subdued most of the known world, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon. Some say he was a heinous murderer, and others believe he was a military genius.He was Temujin, a man who gathered together a loose collection of fractious tribes living under the harsh conditions of the Steppe. He was a strategist of astonishing cunning and versatility who coordinated an empire of varying cultures, uniting them with the strange lives of the Mongols, and he was one of the most powerful men ever to have lived. Genghis Khan was a scourge, a hero, a military genius, and to some a demi-god. He murdered millions in his quest to conquer the world by force, but in Mongolia, even today, he is revered as the father of the nation, and he is claimed by both the Mongols and the Chinese. His kingdom was twice the size of the Roman Empire, and the largest ever to be amassed.Concise, insightful, and eminently readable, Fierce Ruthless Warriors Who Shaped Ancient History: Vol I provides a wealth of information about three remarkable men and the impact they had on the world. Their stories are filled with violence and heroism, politics and diplomacy, social change and religious tolerance. And each made a mark on history as both a ruthless murderer and a visionary leader.
