Tides of War by Steven Pressfield

As Athens and Sparta clash in the long and brutal Peloponnesian War, one man rises to embody both brilliance and betrayal. Alcibiades, a student of Socrates and a general of dazzling charisma, leads Athens to glory and ruin through his shifting loyalties and ruthless ambition. Told through the eyes of his soldier and friend, Polemides, the story moves across the battlefields of ancient Greece — from the blood-soaked harbors of Syracuse to the shadowed courts of Persia — capturing the chaos of politics, honor, and the fragile line between heroism and treachery. Tides of War is a profound exploration of power, loyalty, and the cost of greatness.