Granicus 334BC: Alexander's First Persian Victory (Campaign)
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Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 939.21
EAN: 9781846030994
ISBN: 1846030994
Label: Osprey Publishing
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 96
Publication Date: 2007-07-24
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Release Date: 2007-07-24
Studio: Osprey Publishing
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Editorial Reviews:
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Granicus River was Alexander's first great victory over the Persians, where he demonstrated the heroic style of active and decisive leadership that was the hallmark of his career. After assuming the throne of Macedonia in 336BC and consolidating his hold on mainland Greece, Alexander crossed the Hellespont to face the Persians at the steep banks of the Granicus.
In the initial engagement, Alexander's 5,000 cavalry, supported by archers and javelin men, routed a force of 20,000 Persian cavalry. Leading the charge, Alexander came close to death, narrowly missing having his head split in two, but eventually triumphed, allowing his infantry to massacre the Greek army, which was hired by the Persians.
This convincing victory was the springboard for the subjugation of the coastal cities, the neutralization of the Persian navy, and ultimately the conquest of the Persian Empire.
Exploring the courageous leadership of one of the world's most inspirational yet ruthless leaders, this book provides a detailed analysis of the battle, strategy, and tactics of the forces engaged.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Convincing account
Comment: In 'Granicus', Michael Thompson presents a lucid, concise and well written account of Alexander's first Persian victory. Herein you will find a brief but good critical discussion of sources, useful topographical information, and sensible conclusions on the very vexed question of Persian army numbers. Additionaly the battle description is detailed,clearly explained,and gets to grips with the mechanics of the combat itself.
Particularly useful for the Wargamer are the summary tables of commands, generals, and the numbers of their respective units (and the battle maps do not disappoint).My only real criticism is regarding Richard Hook's illustration of the second stage of the battle, which doesn't really convince, (despite the explanatory text),on the level of how a Macedonian and traditional Hoplite phalanx might have interacted in battle. There are also some errors in terms of equipment, for instance the Macedonian Phalangites have their shields slung on their backs in the midst of combat when of course these would have been securely fixed to their left forearms in such a situation. Also the equipment of the Greek Mercenary Hoplites looks very old fashioned for the second half of the 4th century BC. These are minor criticisms though of a generally very good book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Battle analysis here provides excellent specifics and insights
Comment: Michael Thompson's GRANICUS 334 BC: ALEXANDER'S FIRST PERSIAN VICTORY is also a specialty recommendation for serious military history holdings; this focusing on Alexander's first great victory over the Persians, where his force of some 5,000 men routed a force of 20,000 Persian cavalry. Battle analysis here provides excellent specifics and insights perfect for collections strong in early military history.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Well Done Campaign Summary
Comment: Granicus 334 BC: Alexander's first Persian Victory by Michael Thompson is a well-researched and well-written campaign history. The author has a firm command of this subject and has enhanced his narrative with excellent photographs of the actual battlefield. This was a short but important battle in history and clearly a precursor to Alexander's further campaigns against the Persian Empire. The author not only succeeds in depicting the opening of Alexander's independent military career but sets the stage for more detailed volumes on his next battles. This is also an excellent introductory volume for readers interested in Alexander's campaigns, since the author has done an excellent job sketching the background to the ascendancy of Macedonian military power as well as commenting on the value of ancient literary sources available.
Granicus 334 BC has four 2-D maps (the Greek and Persian Empires in c. 400 BC; Greece and Western Anatolia in c. 350 BC; Alexander's route from Troy to Granicus; and Alexander's campaign from Granicus to Issus) and two 3-D BEV maps (Phase I of Granicus - the cavalry engagement and Phase II - the infantry engagement). The maps are sufficient to follow all major events described in the text and the BEV maps are zoomed in enough to enhance the reader's understanding of the tactical combat. The two battle scenes by Richard Hook (Alexander's life saved by "Black" Cleitus during fighting in the River Granicus; destruction of the Greek mercenaries after they had been surrounded) are adequate. Although this volume is a bit thinner on maps than the usual Osprey campaign title, the author provides a number of diagrams that show Macedonian cavalry and infantry formations. The author also provides an extensive 3-page bibliography. A number of photographs are exceptional, such as a color photo of Persian archers from a frieze in Susa - much better than the usual dusty museum photos.
The author spends 9 pages in the introduction discussing the rise of Macedonian power in Greece and the ascent of Alexander after the murder of his father Philipp II. This section is useful for both novices in ancient history and those more familiar with the subject who just need a quick refresher. The section on opposing commanders focuses on Alexander but also describes three of his subordinate commanders, the Persian satraps (provincial governors) who fought at Granicus and the Greek mercenary Memnon. The author clearly has an interest in Memnon, who may have been the only commander on the Persian side to have a clue about what they were up against in fighting the Macedonians. The sections on opposing forces and opposing plans are also very good, outlining each sides strengths and weaknesses (logistics for the Macedonians, infantry for the Persians). Before getting into the campaign narrative proper, the author spends two pages discussing the ancient sources and how they were used - this section is insightful. By this point, the reader show realize that this author is very organized and disciplined in his approach and that the narrative that follows is going to be solid and well-supported.
After discussing the preliminaries, including Alexander's crossing into Asia and the initial Persian council of war, the author sets the stage by discussing the terrain of the battlefield. In short, the Persians set up a defensive covering position behind the Granicus River, with their 10,000 cavalry screening the river line and a 5,000-man Greek mercenary force deployed well behind the river. It is a little unclear here how the Persians intended to use their infantry - as a reserve for counterattack or as a support group in case their cavalry got in trouble, but it is clear that the Persian infantry and cavalry was not well-coordinated. Alexander approached the river with 5,000 cavalry and about 12,000 infantry and initially probed with his cavalry along a broad front. Eventually, Alexander fixed the Persian center with his infantry while he made his main effort on the Persian left flank and after almost becoming a casualty himself, managed to get his cavalry across the Granicus. The description of ancient battles are often lacking in vital tactical details and here it is a bit vague on how Alexander used his 1,000 missile infantry (Cretan archers and javelin-men) to support the crossing or how his 2,000 cavalry were able to push back about 5,000 Persian cavalry. It is also unclear why the Persians made no real effort to reinforce their threatened left flank. While the author suggests Macedonian cavalry routed the Persian cavalry, another possible interpretation is that they were only a covering force and retreated due to missile fire, allowing Alexander to get much of his cavalry across without too much fighting. Although the author describes Alexander's near-miss with a Persian sword, he does not mention Alexander's penchant for recklessness and his tendency to lead from the very front.
Once Alexander got the bulk of his cavalry across, the Persian cavalry left the field with only about 20 percent losses according to the author, leaving their Greek mercenaries to be slaughtered by a vengeful Alexander. Readers may note that the portrayal of Alexander in this volume is not as flattering as they may be accustomed to (a commander who later murdered the man who saved him at Granicus and refuses quarter to surrounded Greek mercenaries), but probably more realistic. The author then briefly sketches what happened immediately after Granicus and sets the stage for another volume on the show-down with Darius at Issus. The only section that was a bit tedious in this volume was the battlefield today section, which spent a bit too much effort describing how the Granicus River has changed over the centuries. Otherwise, this was an excellent volume and if the author follows up with another on Issus, these will make a superb low-by-blow account of Alexander's initial campaigns.
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