Where to begin if I want to read history starting from Alexander the Great's era to the late medieval age?

by Karti-K3ya

I've a new found curiosity for the history of the Mediterranean region in the Hellenic and Antiquity periods, and the European and Asia Minor region for Medieval periods. I would like to start right before the times of Alexander the Great, or if possible, the inception of Greek city states and how they came into existence.

From Alexander, I would like to shift my focus to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Then, I would want to dive into the medieval world with a major focus on the Crusades and the Orders of temple (especially, order of the temple of Solomon aka Knight Templars).

I'm contemplating the idea of buying the following books. Should I add or remove any of them? What are your reviews on the books? Where should I start?

Edit:- Forgot to add the lost of books. Here it is

  1. Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman
  2. SPQR: A history of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
  3. Medieval Europe by Chris Wickham
  4. The Oxford History of Medieval Europe by George Holmes
  5. How to Plan a Crusade by Christopher Tyerman
  6. The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple (Canto Classics) by Malcolm Barber.
Vikingulus

Don't by it #1 yet, I always recommend buying books that are more general before diving into it. The first step is always to understand the "main lines".

#2 looks really good.

#3 or #4: Buy one of them. When you buy general books that go through the main lines, it is easy to end up having books that say the same things. Personally I have read https://books.google.no/books/about/Introduction_to_Medieval_Europe_300_1500.html?id=FVPIAgAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

#5: I don't know about that one. My personal recommendation is https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Crusades-A-History-Professor-Jonathan-Riley-Smith/9781472513519?redirected=true&utm_medium=Google&utm_campaign=Base2&utm_source=NO&utm_content=The-Crusades-A-History&selectCurrency=NOK&w=AF7LAU96QGZXH0A803TS&pdg=pla-309308959119:kwd-309308959119:cmp-806541072:adg-41939886135:crv-191433089723:pid-9781472513519:dev-c&gclid=CjwKCAjwhbHlBRAMEiwAoDA346sa-Pn3VCyZOPTqAqb3j-5LRzCgMQK7AMGK0mCi02KvfnsVtmajuBoCEY0QAvD_BwE and https://www.amazon.com/Contesting-Crusades-Norman-Housley/dp/1405111895

6: Looks very interesting, but very specific at the same time.

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I highly recommend you to look in the footnotes of the different books to see what sources they have used themselves. Also looking at the "further reading" part is recommended.

perdweeb2

It really depends on what you are looking for. Alexander is one of the most written about figures in human history. If you want the most general of biographies, I would look at Cantor's Alexander the Great: journey to the end of the world or Fox's Alexander the Great. These two works are not nearly as academic as Green or Hammond. If you are more interested in the military side of Alexander, take a look at some of Lonsdale's work or even Bill Yenne's Alexander the Great: Lessons from History's Undefeated General. The latter includes military jargon and gory details of battle formations and placements. It is a true military biography that is well-written, but still leaves the reader with various questions. I'd be more than happy to provide a more detailed list with my comments, if you wish.

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With 3 and 4, you do not need both unless it is for academic reasons. If I had to choose one, I would choose Holmes even though it is akin to a textbook.