Alexander the great: illustrated

This book by Jacob Abbott is about Alexander the Great (356 ? 323 BC), who was a king of the Greek kingdom of Macedon. Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander succeeded his father, Philip II, to the throne at the age of twenty. He spent most of his ruling years on an unprecedented military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa, until by the age of thirty he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to Egypt and into present-day Pakistan. Alexander was undefeated in battle and is considered one of history's most successful commanders. Nowadays the book is in the public domain, but a great work has been done by Publisher to this version to make an electronic book that contrasts favorably to the original version. And the most important, in addition to 15 original illustrations and maps were added 11 new illustrations that help us to see how the History comes to Life.   Jacob Abbott (1803 ? 1879) was a prolific American writer with vast and complete bibliography. It was not until about 1848 that he and his brother John Stevens Cabot Abbott embarked on the idea of doing a series of biography targeted to young people. His target audience was age "15 to 25", and the Abbott brothers eventually produced a set of biographies that were critically acclaimed, and widely read. Within a few years of their publication, the Abbott biographies became standard reference works of history, and were available in libraries throughout America. They were originally published as the ?Illustrated History? series, but were republished many times during the next sixty years in various collections, entitled ?Famous Characters of History?, ?Famous Queens of History?, and others. They were most recently republished in the early 1900?s as the ?Makers of History? series. In addition to these series, Jacob Abbott wrote at least thirty additional children?s books, as well as many books and articles regarding education for the young, directed at parents and educators. He also wrote several explicitly Christian books, teaching the tenets of Christian theology and moral instruction to the young. Here is what Abraham Lincoln wrote of Abbott's historical series: "I want to thank you and your brother for Abbott?s series of Histories. I have not education enough to appreciate the profound works of voluminous historians, and if I had, I have no time to read them. But your series of Histories gives me, in brief compass, just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have."