Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army

There’s an old saying that states, “Amateurs discuss battles; Professionals discuss logistics.” 

Engel’s book proves the point, arguing that the Macedonian king’s real genius was not tricky moves on the battlefield, but by making sure his men had enough food and water to sustain themselves for twelve years.  One of the great things about this book is that Engels covers things that work for any premodern era: how much a human or animal can carry; how much food and water they consume on a daily basis, and what it requires to keep tens of thousands of humans on the march… show more.

At the other end of the scale from Luttwak’s view of grand strategy is this book, which focuses on how supply logistics relative to conditions on the ground was the basis of Alexander's strategy and tactics. For example, Engels calculates how the carrying capacity of camels limited the distance that the Macedonian army could march. Indeed, the further the army went into territory without local food and water, the higher the proportion of the camels' load was devoted to just its own feed. The author’s brilliant use of statistics in detailed calculations totally blew me away when I came across… show more.