A SUNDAY TIMES AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR `Fascinating and important` - Natalie Haynes, author of Stone Blind `Monumental and vividly imagined` - Daily Telegraph `Wonderfully entertaining` - Sunday Times `Lively and engrossing ` - Literary Review On a sparsely populated Egyptian coastline, Alexander the Great sketched his vision of a metropolis into the sand. Situated on the cusp of three continents, it became the city where Greeks and Egyptians, Romans and Jews created a global knowledge capital that changed the face of philosophy, religion and science forever. In this sweeping biography of the great city, Islam Issa takes us on a fascinating journey across millennia. Rich in big ideas, brutal tragedies and distinctive characters, Alexandria tells the gripping story of a city that has shaped our modern world. `A multifaceted history of an enthralling city` - Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, author of Persians: The Age of the Great Kings `A cornucopia of fascinating details, every page revealing a new delight` - Paul Strathern, author of The Medici