Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy and I discuss the incredible careers of Alexander the Great and his father Philip II. Dr. Goldsworthy's "Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors" is available wherever books are sold. See adriangoldsworthy.com for much more on military and Roman history.

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0:00 Introduction
1:00 Without Philip, no Alexander
5:16 The problems of sources
12:16 Managing those problematic sources
21:10 How Philip II transformed Macedon
26:52 The invention of the Macedonian Phalanx
35:22 The motivations of the Persian crusade
45:42 Why Alexander's army was superior
55:30 Alexander's most impressive victory
1:00:02 Macedonian siege warfare
1:05:38 Alexander's forgotten victories
1:13:42 Would Alexander have conquered China?
1:18:33 Alexander's plans for the future
1:27:10 Comparing Alexander with Julius Caesar