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Alexandria

The City That Changed the World

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Alexandria

By: Islam Issa
Narrated by: Islam Issa
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About this listen

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

My dad had always told me about our city's magnificence, and as I looked at the new library in Alexandria it finally hit home. This is no ordinary library, I reflected. And this is no ordinary city.

Combining rigorous research with myth and folklore, Alexandria is an authoritative history of a city that has shaped our modern world. Soon after being founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria became the crucible of cultural exchange between East and West for millennia and the undisputed global capital of knowledge. It was at the forefront of human progress, but it also witnessed brutal natural disasters, plagues, crusades and violence.

Major empires fought over Alexandria, from the Greeks and Romans to the Arabs, Ottomans, French and British. Key figures shaped the city from its eponymous founder to Aristotle, Cleopatra, Saint Mark the Evangelist, Napoleon Bonaparte and many others, each putting their own stamp on its identity and its fortunes. And millions of people have lived in this bustling seaport on the Mediterranean. From its humble origins to its dizzy heights and its latest incarnation, Islam Issa tells us the rich and gripping story of a city that changed the world.

©2023 Islam Issa (P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Civilization Egypt Greece Rome City Crusade Imperialism Ottoman Empire Ancient History Ancient Greece Greek Mythology
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Critic reviews

'In Islam Issa's monumental and vividly imagined new tale of the city, Alexandria comes to life . . . Issa's Alexandria arrives at 2011's Arab Spring having covered more than two millennia in just over 400 pages - no mean feat. But his real success is the book's sense of personality. It ends with Issa walking through the modern city that now stands on the ancient site, passing its markets and Art Deco cinemas. He writes about the present as vividly as the storied past. This book is a fitting tribute to a city that has survived, changed and grown for so many centuries (Francesca Peacock)
Islam Issa's Alexandria is a fabulous book, in every sense of that word. It is a history of the city, of its multitudinous people, of its heroes and villains, of its Library and its Pharos, down through the ages to his own family and his life growing up there. It is a cornucopia of fascinating details, every page revealing a new delight. A work of brilliant and informed scholarship, as well as being a labour of love. It is as if Islam Issa was born to write this book. (Paul Strathern, author of The Medici)
Had things gone differently for Antony and Cleopatra, then today we would be lauding the glories of Alexandria instead of Rome. But Islam Issa refuses to see Alexandria as an also-ran and does a fine job in this book of guiding us through Alexandria's long, colourful, rarely peaceful, past. By evoking the splendours of its palaces, temples, libraries, churches, museums, synagogues, mosques, bazaars, dance halls and cafes, the book provides a multifaceted history of an enthralling city. (Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, author of Persians: the Age of the Great Kings)

What listeners say about Alexandria

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History in miniature

The history of Europe, the Levant and the Middle East told through the lens of a single fascinating city. Read by the author which is always nice but he’s so slow I had to turn the speed up and some of the pronunciation was distractingly eccentric

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Incredible book

This is a monumental book that covers histories of inventions, wars. religions and personal stories from Islam Issa making this history of Alexandria authentic and compelling. Read by the author with passion, which is extra special! 5 stars!!

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Fascinating history of Alessandria

An incredible city with an even more incredible history. So expertly recounted, it bought the city’s past back to life. Definite 5 stars.

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Brilliant

Brilliant broad sweep without losing the details of a truly human history. An amazing city with a unique past.

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Atmosphere of a beautiful city

great insight into history and culture of Alexandria a city I have visited and would love to see again. Beautifully read evoking the atmosphere of ancient and modern Alexandria.

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Not quite what I expecred, and felt rushed

This book was sadly not quite what I expected. Though I agree that Alexandria in Antiquity is important, just because of the fact that he spend the 12 hours talking about Ancient Alexandria it feels rushed when it comes to the rest of the history. Can you really tell almost 2000 years in 7 hours? In my honest oppinion this book had great potential but it falls in the trap of so many other books like this where it focus too much on the early part, and then rushes through the rest. I think this book would have been better off hsd it been either longer, or in two volumes. As anyone fascinated by islamic history I could not wait to reach that part. But sadly it feels like it is just a minor part of the book when the 12 first hours are focused on BC not ADo. Not in a bad book by any means. I just think it could have been better

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