Alexander the Great biography takes top nonfiction honor
A 10-year project on the Macedonian conqueror claims the 50,000 pound Baillie Gifford Prize, marking the first time an ancient history book has won the award.
By Victoria Hayes ·
More than 350 entries were considered for the Baillie Gifford Prize for nonfiction, but only one title secured the 50,000 pound ($67,000) award this year. The winner is a comprehensive biography of Alexander the Great, a selection that signals a surge in public interest in ancient Greek history.
Edmund Richardson’s book, “Alexander: God, King, Man,” was named the winner at a ceremony in London on Wednesday. Richardson is a professor of classics at Durham University in England. He spent a decade researching the life of the Macedonian king, a process he described as taking far too long and involving too many research detours.
The book marks the first time a work of ancient history has claimed this prize. Kirsty Lang, the British journalist who chaired the judging panel, said the narrative reads like a novel. She noted that the writing is immersive, allowing readers to feel present on battlefields and marching routes across Central Asia and Egypt.
The volume includes new research, specifically Richardson’s own translations of sources from 12 ancient languages. Lang stated that these fresh interpretations help explain the book’s appeal to modern readers, including fans of recent cinematic adaptations of Greek classics.
Richardson said that no one called Alexander the Great during his lifetime. He explained that Alexander inherited a debt-ridden kingdom at age 20 and was initially viewed as a tributary rather than a major power. He later conquered territory stretching from Greece to India before dying at age 32.
The author argued that Alexander’s military campaign transformed reality more profoundly than almost any other event in human history. Richardson said the expedition connected the world in new ways, facilitating a flow of knowledge, science, and art from Babylon to Greece and from Egypt to Italy.
The other finalists included Patrick Radden Keefe’s “London Falling,” Nicholas Boggs’ “Baldwin: A Love Story,” Matthew Sweet’s “The Great Dictator,” Anand Gopal’s “Days of Love and Rage,” and Andrea Wulf’s “The Traveler.” The prize, founded in 1999, recognizes English-language books across various nonfiction categories.
