In the first novel of her stunning trilogy, Mary Renault vividly imagines the life of Alexander the Great, the charismatic leader whose drive and ambition created a legend. Published as part of a beautifully designed series to mark the 40th anniversary of the Virago Modern Classics.

Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind an empire that stretched from Greece to India. Fire From Heaven tells the story of the years that shaped him. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought bitterly for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from birth. Alexander's love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and fuelled his aspirations.

Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve and commanding Macedon's cavalry at eighteen, by the time his father is assassinated, Alexander's skills have grown to match his fiery ambition.

The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the 20th century . . . it represents the pinnacle of [Renault's] career . . . Renault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty. It's a literary conjuring trick like all historical fiction - it can only ever be an approximation of the truth. But in Renault's hands, the trick is so convincing and passionately conjured.