Alexandria

An original, authoritative and lively cultural history of the first modern city, from pre-Homeric times to the present day

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A SUNDAY TIMES AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR

'Fascinating and important'
Natalie Haynes, author of Stone Blind

'Monumental and vividly imagined'
Daily Telegraph

'Wonderfully entertaining'
Sunday Times

'Lively and engrossing '
Literary Review

On a sparsely populated Egyptian coastline, Alexander the Great sketched his vision of a metropolis into the sand. Situated on the cusp of three continents, it became the city where Greeks and Egyptians, Romans and Jews created a global knowledge capital that changed the face of philosophy, religion and science forever.

In this sweeping biography of the great city, Islam Issa takes us on a fascinating journey across millennia. Rich in big ideas, brutal tragedies and distinctive characters, Alexandria tells the gripping story of a city that has shaped our modern world.

'A multifaceted history of an enthralling city'
Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, author of Persians: The Age of the Great Kings

'A cornucopia of fascinating details, every page revealing a new delight'
Paul Strathern, author of The Medici