You must have wondered, while watching TV, searching a map or looking at a globe, what it would be like to travel the world on your own.
One boy dreamed of not just travelling the world but conquering it. He is now known as Alexander the Great, who achieved much of his dream long before modern transport existed.
In Kathryn Waterfield and Robin Waterfield’s Who Was Alexander the Great?, you meet a boy with an eye for detail, who grew up in the shadow of his father, King Philip II, yet had a mind of his own. When his father died suddenly, Alexander rose to the challenge and took over the reins of power in his teens.
You may know Alexander as a king who lived long ago, but this book explores what made him great. At a time when humiliating prisoners of war was common, he refused to follow the practice. Instead, he used his intellect to advance his conquests, sometimes building roads over water or liberating locals from tyrants. His men respected him, and he valued them.
The book also explores his downfall, partly because he stopped listening to his men and took the ‘Great’ in his title too literally. Ignoring warnings from his elders and priests also had consequences. The book explains how Alexander’s decisions took a toll on his life, which ended before his 30th birthday.
The narration is simple and engaging, making the book easy to revisit and share with family and friends. The illustrations offer a glimpse of how people dressed and what soldiers wore into battle.
Interesting breaks in the narration explain things you might not know, from the difference between BC and AD to Homer. Timelines of Alexander’s life and the world during his era add further context. The next time you spot places named after Alexander on a globe, you’ll know who passed through them long, long ago.
Published in Dawn, Young World, October 24th, 2026
