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Alexander The Great’s Art of Strategy
Book

Alexander The Great’s Art of Strategy

The Timeless Lessons of History’s Greatest Empire Builder

Partha Bose
Gotham Books, 2003

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Partha Bose has crafted an impressive volume that stands equally well as a work of interpretive history or as a contemporary guide to effective business strategy. Like any lessons-of-history-applied-to-business volume, it works to find a delicate balance between past and present. Its practical business examples range from Honda to IBM to the war in Afghanistan (a land which Alexander was the last to conquer successfully). Fortunately, Bose avoids the temptation to give the facts of history short shrift. Do not expect to find an answer about whether to do that big acquisition deal. (You'll never establish your own business empire if you get too caught up in the details!) Instead, this volume brings to life the classic lessons of leadership that march across the eons, unstoppable, unchanging, unchallenged, like the Macedonian legion itself. getAbstract.com highly recommends this book to executives, strategists, history buffs and all those who harbor a secret desire to rule the world!

Take-Aways

  • Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), son of Philip of Macedonia, died at age 32, having conquered most of Asia, from Greece to Northern India, and south to Egypt.
  • Those inspired by Alexander include Julius Caesar, Hannibal, Napoleon, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and Norman Schwarzkopf.
  • His father was a great military leader in his own right, and was the first general in history to master alternatives to the brute-force frontal assault.

About the Author

Partha Bose is the Marketing Director of Allen & Overy, one of the world's largest law firms with 5,000 professionals and offices in 26 countries. Until March, 2003, he was the Chief Marketing Office of Monitor Group. Bose is a native of India who divides his time between Boston and London. He is a former partner of McKinsey & Company and editor of The McKinsey Quarterly.

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