A ​“splendidly intelligent and entertaining” (NPR) novel that boldly reimagines one of history’s most intriguing relationships: between legendary philosopher Aristotle and his most famous pupil, the young Alexander the Great

In development as the Netflix original series Alexander, from Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney

“This quietly ambitious and beautifully achieved novel is one of the most convincing historical novels I have ever read.”—Hilary Mantel, Booker Award–winning author of Wolf Hall
342 BC: Aristotle is initially reluctant to set aside his own ambitions in order to tutor the rebellious son of his boyhood friend, Philip of Macedon. Still, the philosopher soon realizes that teaching this charming, surprising, and sometimes horrifying teenager is a necessity amid the ever more sinister intrigues of Philip’s court. But as Alexander grows older and becomes a man who will transform the world for better or for worse, Aristotle, like any teacher, ponders his own culpability.

Told in the brilliantly rendered voice of Aristotle—keenly intelligent, often darkly funny—The Golden Mean brings ancient Greece to vivid life via the story of this remarkable friendship between two towering figures, innovator and conqueror, whose views of the world still resonate today.