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Aug 15, 2013rab1953 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
An interesting novel that looks at Alexander the Great through the first-hand account of his teacher Aristotle. It takes Aristotle out of the ethereal philosophical and intellectual realm on the first page, having him swear and complain about the soreness of riding a horse, while distracting himself with the thought of a woman servant’s ass; it returns to Aristotle’s home life, his ambitions and his fears about becoming entangled in court politics. As he’s not really an insider, his view of Alexander is limited, but he sees how a bright boy has to accommodate the political need for military leadership and social pressures. In the end, both philosopher and ruler have to look for a balance between what they want and what they can accomplish, or get away with, in the real world.