Valerio Massimo Manfredi is a respected historian and archaeologist at The University Of Milan who has published 7 novels, including the Alexander Trilogy. I have read only one of them. It was interesting, if a bit bland. It suffers from comparison to Mary Renault. Though he is very adept at the popular novel form, he lacks the passion for the subject which is the hallmark of Renault.

He is involved in the new Oliver Stone film on Alexander which shall be released November 15th.

The book is around here somewhere; I shall look at it again.