- Hardcover: 424 pages
- Publisher: Isis; Large Print edition edition (March 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0753171635
- ISBN-13: 978-0753171639
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.7 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"- 'Doherty has created a vivid, credible picture of life in the Persian and Macedonian courts on the eve of Alexander's conquests... his Alexander is a loyal friend and likeable rogue intent on gambling everything to achieve his dreams of world conquest.' Times Literary Supplement - 'Doherty, a true master of the historical mystery, provides another superbly crafted whodunit that will keep readers guessing until the stunning climax' Booklist
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
A campaign of murder, as Alexander nears his greatest challenge It is 334BC. Alexander and his troops have crossed into Asia and shattered the Persian army at the battle of the Granicus. Marching south he has conquered all in his path, including the great city of Ephesus. But he knows, and his enemies know, that the great prize is the city of Halicarnassus, strategically important and with fortifications to make any attacker despair. Alexander, by now known as 'Great Besieger of Cities' must take Halicarnassus. The city has a link with his own past, his difficult relationship with his father; he needs to prove something to himself. The cities' commanders, Alexander's old enemy Memnon of Rhodes, the Persian Orontobates, and the Greek renegade, Ephialtes, plot to ensure that Alexander will meet his nemesis at their gates. Fortifications are redoubled and a trap is prepared. This time, surely, they will bring down the Macedonian Wolf and bring his dreams of conquest to nothing. Alexander's court is set up close to the city, and his physician and boyhood friend Telamon is there. Even as Alexander brings up his troops for one of the most dramatic confrontations in the ancient world, a series of brutal killings begins, proving that the Persians have infiltrated the court. While his lord prepares for the fight of his life, Telamon enters a maelstrom of murder and intrigue. He must go through 'the Gates of Hell' to find the traitors and protect Alexander - but all the while the ever-cunning Alexander keeps his counsel and pursues his own plans to foil his enemies.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Put the head in a basket and send it to the king.", Sep 20 2005
By Mary Whipple - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Gates of Hell (Hardcover)
It is 334 B.C., and Memnon of Rhodes, a mercenary, has been appointed Governor of Lower Asia by King Darius of Persia. Memnon's mission is to prevent Alexander the Great of Macedon from taking the important Persian city of Halicarnassus as easily as he has taken other Persian cities in his southward march through Asia Minor. With vivid sense imagery and a keen eye for detail, Doherty brings color and drama to the maneuvering by both sides as they get ready for the siege of Halicarnassus, a city of strategic importance, which overlooks the Aegean and the Greek islands.Using primary sources for much of his research, Doherty recreates the story of this ferocious and bloody battle. Ignoring the lofty, epic rhetoric of classic battles, he chooses instead a conversational tone, creating a sense of urgency and rapid movement in the narrative which matches the speed and drama of the action. His research, however serious it might be, is fully integrated into an exciting story, not imposed upon it, and gives a sense of harsh reality to events. His characters on both sides are memorable despite their large number, and his stunning descriptions of costume, customs, weaponry, and the frenzy of battle keep the reader almost breathless with anticipation.
While the battle rages, both sides try to decipher a mysterious manuscript by Pythias, the architect of the walls around Halicarnassus, in which he supposedly reveals a secret weakness in the walls and the location of a treasure. Scribes and cryptographers work non-stop, the breaking of the code providing an underlying motive for a series of murders which take place within the battle drama. The murder mystery adds intrigue and excitement to the historical setting, but it is the siege itself, and the details of the war, which really bring the narrative to life. Catapults turning men and horses into torches, and the euthanasia of wounded men and horses convey the brutality of warfare, while the formality of movements and the parades of warriors in battle dress show the choreography within this brutality. In this testament of one of Alexander's most ferocious battles, the reader sees that though he can be brutal and quixotic, "Alexander has a genius. He seems to have been touched by fortune." Mary Whipple
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great except for the very end, Jan 22 2006
By Mark Bartlett - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Gates of Hell (Paperback)
This is the first book by Doherty that I've read and I had no idea it was book three in a series. It's certainly good enough to make me want to go back and read the others, and the book doesn't require you to need to have read the first two if you know a little something about Alexander and his campaign. I thought the historical sense was excellent, though I think some inaccuracies were present, for example the first known corridor isn;t until Rome, and then not widely used until the 17th century, I thought, so the mention of them in the farmhouse is anachronistic. This is however, primarily a who dunnit through the point of view of the doctor, all while the build up to a city seige takes place. Though some of the everyday scenes are a bit clunky, the battle sequences are wonderful! My only disappointment was the ending, it was all a bit Scoobie Doo.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Winner for the Author, Nov 16 2006
By J. Chippindale - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Gates of Hell (Paperback)
Paul Doherty is the consummate professional when it comes to writing historical novels. I for one do not know how he can be so prolific with his offering of books and yet make sure that each of them is well researched. Whether they be 13th, 14th, or fifteenth century they are always true to the period. He also writes about Ancient Egypt and now he has taken to writing about Alexander the Great. Paul Doherty has the rare talent of making you feel as though you are there, be it medieval England, or battling with Alexander. The sounds and smells of the period seem to waft from the pages of his books.It is still 334 BC, but the known world is beginning to realise that Alexander, is a special kind of man. Touched by the gods. Some even say born to a god. There is not an army in the ancient world that can stop him. There is not a King or an Emperor whose crown and land is safe.
Alexander has crossed into Asia and is now marching south, conquering all in his path. His enemies know that he is heading for the jewel in the crown, the city of Halicarnassus. The city is said to be impregnable from attack and is strategically important too. Alexander cannot afford to by-pass the city and leave the rear of his army vulnerable to being attacked.
But yet again as Alexander plans with his commanders how best to bring the city to its knees, yet another series of brutal killings begin. Alexander sees this as proof that the Persians have infiltrated not only his lines but have actually infiltrated his inner court. Once again Telamon, Alexander's trusted friend and physician is asked to apply his mind to solving the problem of the murders, but it is going to be no simple matter to find and destroy the traitors.
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