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Fire from Heaven
- A Novel of Alexander the Great
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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- By Kenneth on 21-10-2016
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- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Alexias, a young Athenian of good family, grows up just as the Peloponnesian War is drawing to a close. The adult world he enters is one in which the power and influence of his class have been undermined by the forces of war, and more and more Alexias finds himself drawn to the controversial teachings of Sokrates.
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The flaw in the glass
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Publisher's Summary
Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle.
His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve, he became regent at sixteen and commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen, so that by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.
Critic Reviews
"Renault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty.... a literary conjuring trick.... so convincing and passionately conjured." (The Times)
"The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat." (Sarah Waters)
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What listeners say about Fire from Heaven
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Kenneth
- 18-08-2016
Tales well-told.
It would be difficult to find a better combination of historical knowledge and literary ability. Mary Renault's storytelling is superb, and her insights are memorable. The one fault with this recording is that the reader, whose 'normal' voice is very pleasing, does not catch the voice of children. And, too often, the editing of this recording leaves no space between events that are disparate, both in time and in place, resulting in a confusion as to what is being referred to. However, the creation of Alexander's childhood is a masterpiece, and allows us to see the genesis of such a charismatic figure.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
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- Ashlinn
- 12-03-2024
Historical Fanfic
I must say, I bought this via a recommendation that didn't mention the authors style, nor magnification on romance between Alexander and Hephaestion. With that said, after a short period of confusion I was absorbed and have been hooked enough to finish this rapidly and obtain book two. Noting other reviews about the performance, I found the reader very pleasant.
I'd say this is a very good entry level for listeners after the Alexander story, just be aware of the liberties taken.
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