Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) became king of Macedonia at the age of nineteen. He fought his greatest battles and conquered the mighty Persian Empire before he turned twenty-five. He died at the age of thirty-three, never having been defeated. His reputation as an exceptional warrior and leader has no equal in historical records. In this book, Alexander himself, in an attempt to find "someone who can listen without judging and who keeps his mouth shut," narrates his story: "I was always a soldier. I knew no other life. Even as a child, I responded to the call of arms. I desired nothing else. . .". So this is the beginning. Only the beginning. . .The portrait of the greatest general of all time, a man capable of the greatest achievements and the greatest mistakes, is formed before the reader's eyes illuminated by a new light. The virtues of war combine the confessional tone of a personal diary with the terse writing of military communiqués. Steven Pressfield uniquely brings to life a legendary hero who could be bold and sensitive, passionate and dedicated, yet at the same time callous and unpredictable. Additionally, by masterfully describing the conflicts and revealing the tactics of the opponents, he revives the bloody atmosphere of the battlefields, bringing to life a heroic as well as savage era. [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]