A man, two armies. The fate of the ancient world hangs in the balance. If History is the biography of distinct individuals, the life of Alcibiades (451-404 B.C.) is a significant chapter in the chronicle of the Western world. From the family of Pericles, a protégé of Socrates, Alcibiades was recognized as the brightest and most charismatic figure of his time.
And just as Achilles' pride influenced the course of the Trojan War, so too did Alcibiades' will and ambition mark the Peloponnesian War - the twenty-seven-year civil conflict between the Athenian Hegemony and the Peloponnesian Alliance. The destiny of Athens and its favored child were intertwined.
Man and city were characterized by the same boldness and ambition, yet at the same time were equally vulnerable. When they allied, they soared from one victory to the next. When they were adversaries, he led their enemies to glory.
In "Winds of War," the confession of a hoplite who served under Alcibiades' command in the Athenian fleet - now condemned to death for the murder of that man who was both loved and hated so much - uniquely brings to life one of History's most significant conflicts.
[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]
