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Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Keith Hockton, FRAS, is a writer, publisher, and award-winning podcaster based in Penang, Malaysia, with a deep passion for uncovering the stories that shaped our world. As the Southeast Asia Editor for International Living magazine, Keith explores the intersections of history, culture, and modern life across the region.
A dynamic lecturer and storyteller, he speaks internationally on Southeast Asian politics, economics, and history—bringing the past to life with clarity, wit, and insight. Keith is also a proud Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and is on a mission to make history not only accessible but genuinely entertaining for everyone.
His published books include:
• Atlas of Australian Dive Sites - Travellers Edition (Harper Collins Australia, 2003).
• Penang - An inside guide to its historic homes, buildings, monuments and parks (MPH Publishing, 2012; 2nd Edition 2014; 3rd Edition 2017).
• Festivals of Malaysia (Trafalgar Publishing, 2015).
• The Habitat Penang Hill: A pocket history (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Alana and the Secret Life of Trees at Night (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures (Entrepot Publishing, 2019; 2nd Edition 2021
• Bersama Lima - Five Together (Entrepot Publishing, 2022)
www.entrepotpublishing.com
Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Alexander: The Shadow Before the Storm – Part One
Born in blood and prophecy in 356 BC, Alexander of Macedonia was never meant for peace. His mother, Olympias, whispered of divine ancestry and Achilles’ blood. His father, Philip II, carved an empire from fractured tribes and raised a son who would not just inherit a kingdom—but demand the world.
Tutored by Aristotle, trained by war, Alexander's brilliance was matched only by his hunger. As a boy, he broke the wild horse Bucephalus; as a man, he broke the Persian Empire. When Philip was assassinated, 20-year-old Alexander took the throne—and set the ancient world on fire.
From the ruins of Thebes to the palaces of Babylon, he moved like a storm, crushing armies, toppling kings, and crowning himself in their ashes. But conquest was never enough. He sought to fuse East and West into one empire, one legacy, under one name: his.
This is not the story of a man who wanted power. It’s the story of a man who wanted to become a god—and very nearly did.
Referral links:
For books written and published by Keith Hocton