True Films 3.0 - Kevin Kelly

In the Footsteps of
Alexander the Great
This program is how classical history should be taught. Amateur historian
Michael Woods demonstrates the power of knowledge gained when
you live out the past exactly. Forcing himself to follow the actual footpaths
of Alexander the Great on his 10,00 mile march – at least as much
as politics, research, and geography would allow – Woods uncovers
insights into Alexander’s personality and tactics, while providing viewers
an amazing journey of their own – starting with caravans in the Sudan
and ending with caravans in Pakistan, gliding across river crossings in
Russia and in river boats down India, stretching from the mountains of
Macedonia to the mountains of Afghanistan. Beautifully written, expertly
hosted, magnificently filmed, and wonderfully enlightening, this BBCproduced
film is simply the best short course (3 hours) in ancient history
that I’ve yet seen.
By David Wallace
1998, 240 min.
Available from Amazon
Rent from Netflix
Host Michael Woods scrambles up
a ladder to scale the fortress where
Alexander was attacked in what is now
Pakistan (left). Just like Alexander, he
needs to cross the Indus river on a
bridge built over floating boats (bottom
left). In the Chitral Valley of Pakistan he
meets a blue-eyed tribe (bottom right)
which claims to be descendents of
Alexander the Great.
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