2. Philip had been married _________ times by the time he married OIympias and would marry another three times afterward, casting Olympias and the other wives aside as he tired of them.

3. Alexander paid a visit to the Oracle and it was said that the Oracle referred to Alexander as the son of whom?

4. The ___________________ love drama and the theatre.

5. Wellington so impressed Castlereagh that the thirty-seven-year-old soldier was soon a trusted confidant and advisor on one military scheme after another. One of those schemes included keeping an eye on whose activities?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was Alexander's melodramatic personality both a help and a hindrance?

2. How was Wellington rewarded for his military success? Why was he rewarded in this way?

3. Describe the army Alexander inherited from his father.

4. Why was, and is, it important for a leader to have good oration skills?

5. How was Wellington able to win the Battle of Waterloo? Could it have been won without him? Could it have been won without the aid of the Prussians? Why or why not?

6. What did Wellington do when the French set fire to the chateau at Hougomont? Why did he do this?

7. Compare the upbringing of both Wellington and Alexander.

8. To whom does Keegan compare Alexander the Great in Chapter One? What is the outcome of this comparison?

9. Why were other soldiers jealous of Wellington? Should they have been jealous? Why or why not?

10. Describe Alexander's ten-year march. Why did he do this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Keegan mentions that many of the leaders were put under more strain than their men.

Part 1) Are you surprised by this? Why or why not? Under what strain are these leaders? How does it affect many of them? How does it affect their ability to lead?

Part 2) What strain are our own leaders today put under? How does this strain affect their ability to lead? How does it affect us as civilians?

Part 3) What strain are you under in your own life? How does it affect you? How can this help you empathize with world leaders?

Essay Topic 2

The leaders discussed in this book had a wide range of upbringings.

Part 1) Choose four men to analyze. Describe each man's upbringing. Compare these upbringings. How did their upbringings affect their personalities, strategies, and beliefs?

Part 2) Despite having varying upbringings, the leaders in this book had several similarities and common traits. What are these commonalities? Are these traits required by all leaders? Why or why not?

Part 3) Regarding nurture versus nature, do you feel that either the way you were raised or your own genetics has a stronger influence over your personality, interests, and beliefs? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Macedonia had an abundance of natural resources.

Part 1) What did Macedonia lack? How did this affect Alexander and his people? How did Alexander make up for what his nation was lacking?

Part 2) What resources did the other nations described in this book have? What were they lacking? How did their leaders use these resources? How did they deal with what was lacking?

Part 3) What resources does our own country have? What are we lacking? What is done with the resources we have? How do we deal with what we are lacking? Do you believe our country manages our resources effectively? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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