Into the Land of Bones

Into the Land of Bones is the fullest narrative of Alexander’s campaigns in Afghanistan available in English. It is informed by a comprehensive knowledge of the ancient sources, geography, and archaeology of Afghanistan. The work uses the history of Alexander to raise provocative questions about current affairs. Its long-term value, however, lies in its detailed and masterly account of Alexander’s Bactrian campaigns in light of the history and geography of Afghanistan. This is one of the most important works on Alexander to appear in the last ten years.
—Stanley Burstein, author of Outpost of Hellenism: The Emergence of Heraclea on the Black Sea“The terrain, climate, and volatile socio-political milieu of Afghanistan have always been a logistical nightmare for invaders. Holt’s vivid evocation of Alexander the Great’s grueling, brutal, inconclusive war, and the telling parallels he draws with British, Soviet, and U.S. attempts to bludgeon the region into submission, make for grim reading.”—Amelie Kuhrt, author of The Ancient Near East, c.3000-330 BC