In the last seven years of his life, Alexander the Great grew increasingly unpredictable, sporadically violent, megalomaniacal and suspicious of friends as well as enemies. This latest biography of antiquity's most renowned conqueror differs from others in its detailed assessment of Alexander's psychological development.

In Alexander The Great John Maxwell O'Brien takes an imaginative approach to his subject in choosing Dionysus, the god of wine and ambivalence, as the framework for a discussion of Alexander's alcoholism and often contradictory personality traits.

O'Brien's pursuit of his subject explores every imaginable detail, discussing Alexander's cultural tastes, religious beliefs, parents, aspirations, exploits, fears, sexuality and alcoholism. Alexander The Great takes into account the latest scholarship in the field, incorporating the latest methods of interpretation in archaeology, anthropology, psychology, mythology and philosophy.