Alexander's Tomb: The Two-Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conquerer

Be the first to write a review

Overview

Alexander the Great is a towering figure in world history, but despite our long-held fascination with him, his burial site is unknown. The search for Alexander's tomb began soon after his untimely death in 323 B.C. and continues even today. The epic pursuit of the tomb spans continents and centuries, and involves some of history's most iconic figures. This is the story not of a brief and spectacular life, but of a momentous and unexplained death, multiple burials, and the seemingly never-ending quest for a ...

See more details below
Paperback
$15.27
BN.com price
(Save 9%)$16.95 List Price
Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (14) from $3.00   
  • New (6) from $3.95   
  • Used (8) from $3.00   
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

Alexander the Great is a towering figure in world history, but despite our long-held fascination with him, his burial site is unknown. The search for Alexander's tomb began soon after his untimely death in 323 B.C. and continues even today. The epic pursuit of the tomb spans continents and centuries, and involves some of history's most iconic figures. This is the story not of a brief and spectacular life, but of a momentous and unexplained death, multiple burials, and the seemingly never-ending quest for a man-god's final resting place. Bringing together thousands of years of speculation, as well as new questions about the ramifications of actually solving the puzzle, Alexander's Tomb is a fascinating look at one of archaeology's greatest mysteries.

A landmark history of how the entire American health care system has evolved over the last two centuries.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Although the heroic exploits of Alexander the Great have been memorialized in fiction, films and biographies, the location of his tomb remains a mystery. British anthropologist Saunders (People of the Jaguar), an armchair Indiana Jones, deftly chronicles the various searches for Alexander's tomb by pharaohs, Christian emperors and archeologists from antiquity to the present. As Saunders tells it, while Alexander's corpse lay in state in Babylon in 321 B.C., a power battle among his generals led one of them, Ptolemy, to steal the corpse and carry it to Memphis in Egypt for burial. Later Ptolemy moved the body to Alexandria; 70 years later, one of Ptolemy's sons moved the body yet again to a more ostentatious home in Alexandria. Cleopatra plundered the tomb, and when Christianity became Rome's official religion in the fourth century A.D., Alexander's tomb may have been among the many pagan shrines and tombs destroyed throughout the empire. In 2004, one scholar speculated that Alexander's body lay beneath the altar of St. Mark's Church in Venice, buried by ninth-century Christians who mistook Alexander's remains for those of Saint Mark. Saunders's lively prose draws readers into this compelling tale of conquest, political intrigue and the aura surrounding one of history's great heroes. 16 pages of b&w photos. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
In 323 B.C.E., Alexander the Great died in Babylon at the age of 33 after having conquered (or liberated) lands under Persian domination from Egypt to Afghanistan and as far as India. Alexander's body was mummified (unlike those of his royal predecessors) and lay in state in that city until 321 B.C.E., when Ptolemy diverted the Macedonia-bound funeral cortege to Egypt in order to gain legitimacy for his own ambitions there. Saunders (anthropology, University Coll. London; People of the Jaguar) has written the only English-language monograph currently available for a general audience on the mystery and cultural significance-down to the present day-of Alexander's tomb. The narrative is intertwined with the history of Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander in 331 B.C.E. during his campaign in Egypt and the site of his mausoleum. Such potent figures as Napoleon, Nelson, and archaeologist Howard Carter (of King Tut fame) shared a fascination for Alexander. Useful resources provided by the author include a glossary, a substantial bibliography, a "Dramatis Personae," and a time line extending from Alexander's birth through 2004. Recommended for public libraries. (Some illustrations and index not seen.)-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Charles McGrath
....This important book is written with wit, irony and great style. --The New York Times Books of the Century
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780465072033
  • Publisher: Basic Books
  • Publication date: 4/23/2007
  • Pages: 320
  • Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 9.20 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Nicholas J. Saunders is a lecturer in the department of anthropology at University College, London, and a regular commentator on British television and radio.

Read More Show Less

Table of Contents

Timeline
Introduction: Ghosts in Ruins 1
1 The Cloak of Immortality 5
2 Death and Dying in Babylon 17
3 Stealing the Body and the Memphis Tomb 33
4 Who Moved Alexander's Corpse? 49
5 The Alexandrian Mausoleum 63
6 Ancient Visitors 79
7 The Tomb Disappears 95
8 The Two-Horned Lord and Medieval Whispers 113
9 Napoleon, Nelson, and Alexander's Ghost 129
10 Archaeologists, Maps, and Tombs 147
11 Alabaster, Fantasy, and Ancient Walls 163
12 Politics of the Dead 177
13 The Eternal Quest 191
14 Afterlife 201
Dramatis Personae 207
Glossary 229
Acknowledgments 247
Notes 249
Bibliography 269
Index 281
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
    If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
    Why is this product inappropriate?
    Comments (optional)