Although this is a childrens/teenagers book which I read when I was younger, I still love this book. It combines horses and magic to tell the story of Alexander the Great, a great horseman of the ancient world, from the point of view of his famous horse Bucephallus.
The book sticks very well to the true history of Alexander, as well as adding a few extra characters, drama and magic, but none of this takes away from the true story of Alexander the Great. The book is very well written and I remember after reading it, wanting to learn more about Alexander the Great.
This era is now one of my favourites in history with me always reading more about him and his famous horse. At first I thought the horse wouldn’t be as major a character as the book made out, but my own research has found plenty of mentions of him by name from the Horrible History magazines to historical documentaries. Many films about Alexander the Great include this famous black horse as Alexander’s sole or main ride.
Alexander is often refereed to as a great horseman for utilising Calvary and even in my Biomechanics lectures this year, he was mentioned multiple times for his influence on the role of horses in ancient times.
However, despite closely following the true story, the added fictional characters stop you from knowing exactly what is going to happen next. They also make the story more engaging and emotional.
As I mentioned, it is a children’s book, so it might not be for all of you. But if, like me you are interested in horses and ancient history or have a horsey child who likes to read, this is a fantastic book. I can highly recommend!
Last Updated on 08/05/2019
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