This historical fantasy, written by the son of the well-known German novelist Thomas Mann, takes Alexander the Great for its subject, charting his life and career, and examining his obsession with conquest and supremacy, regardless of its effects on his friends and lovers. Written in 1920s Germany in the aftermath of World War I, this timeless story can also be viewed as a fascinating study of power with highly political connotations. is a captivating early work of historical fiction from a troubled and unjustly neglected writer.