In this study, Bosworth looks at Alexander the Great's activities in Central Asia and Pakistan, drawing a bleak picture of massacre and repression comparable to the Spanish conquest of Mexico. He investigates the evolution of Alexander's views of empire and concept of universal monarch, and documents the representation of Alexander by historians of antiquity. The book is directed to specialists and general readers alike.

"sensitive discussion of Alexander the Great ... Bosworth judiciously assesses the sources, but also considers the geographical and social context. Professor Bosworth deserves to be read, and not just by classicists or historians of the ancient world, since this is a prudent investigation of the construction of the heroic image of a totalitarian ruler"

"An essential acquisition for graduate and advanced undergraduate collections."