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Alexander: The Story of a Legendary Leader

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

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Alexander: The Story of a Legendary Leader

By: David Wade
Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Barry Foster, Brian Cox, Geraldine James, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Michael Maloney, Simon Ward
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About this listen

A thrilling six-part serial on the life of Alexander the Great.

Alexander of Macedon was one of history’s greatest ever military commanders. By the time of his death, aged just 32, he had conquered the entire Persian Empire and was ruler of a vast territory stretching from Greece to the borders of India. These six episodes tell his extraordinary life story, as reimagined by acclaimed dramatist David Wade.

The King’s Son – 356 BC. Outside the city of Pella in Macedonia, the spirits of Achilles and Patroclus are eagerly awaiting a royal birth. But Alexander’s arrival creates friction between King Philip and his Queen, Olympias.

I Am Also Alexander – The young Prince is used as a pawn in the war between his parents and becomes a student of the great philosopher Aristotle.

Preparation of the Sacrifice – Alexander goes into battle to prove his manhood. Meanwhile, King Philip's remarriage plans cause tension.

The Road to Gordium – Warrior Alexander becomes King of Macedonia and sets out to conquer the world....

The Hunt of the God King – Alexander pursues Darius, King of Persia, conquers Egypt – and falls in love with the beautiful Barsine.

Great Son of Ammon – The King confronts treachery, invades India and faces the end of the span of years allotted by the Fates....

This compelling serial stars Michael Maloney as Alexander, with an incredible cast including Brian Cox, Geraldine James, Alex Jennings and Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Also included is a bonus episode of In Our Time, in which Melvyn Bragg and guests explore Alexander’s life, legend and legacy.

©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Classics Royalty Ancient History King Ancient Greece Funny
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What listeners say about Alexander: The Story of a Legendary Leader

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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A gripping drama spoiled by poor sound

I enjoyed hearing this drama when it came out on radio four in the 1990s and it was a pleasure reliving it again, especially as there were some interesting twists and turns that weren’t necessarily always that easy to follow when I first heard it.I like the way in which the myths and history are intermingled. The only thing that spoiled this drama was the audio quality. It must’ve been mastered from tape, but there must’ve obviously been some person new on the job who did it, because there are some quiet passages that are hard to hear as the sound practically fizzles out.I believe the technical term to describe this is a rather narrow noise gate! If you don’t mind the slightly poorer quality of this production, then it’s certainly worth a purchase

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A dedicated and immersive epic

My only complaint would be that there is a lot of narration by the gravely voiced Achilles and Petrocles, which abridges and skips over perhaps some interesting scenes. Of course so much happens here that there is little wonder why the directors chose to narrate certain segments. Young Alexander is played very well as well as his older counterpart. Brian Cox plays the aged and ambitious King Phillip father of Alexander very convincingly.
The music feels a bit dated. I was expecting something perhaps more choral and grand as befitting a Greek epic but given times perhaps one was unavailable.
Overall a decent listen and very well acted.

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1 person found this helpful