Lord of the Two Lands is a historical novel lightly touched with fantasy elements. It follows Alexander the Great's campaigns for a period of about a year and a half, from the battle of Issus until he left Egypt to go further east and take on the remnants of the Persian empire. Like most of Tarr's historical novels, it reflects the author's fascination with the people and events of history, which come vividly alive in the book. Its aim is more to entertain and delight than to present a new interpretation. Still, certain views come through clearly in this imaginative novel.

Alexander's mode of leadership is the very opposite of that of the oriental monarchs whom he deposes. They are remote, authoritarian, indolent, and tradition-bound. Alexander is full of energy; he speaks to every man in his army almost as an equal; he loves working out...