Valerio Massimo Manfredi is an archeologist and scholar of the ancient Greek and Roman world. He has taught at a number of prestigious universities in Italy and abroad and has published numerous articles and essays in academic journals and other publications. He also writes fiction: he has published sixteen novels which have won important literary awards and have sold a total of twelve million copies throughout the world. His Alexander trilogy has been translated into 38 languages and published in 62 countries and the film rights have been acquired by Universal Pictures. He has also written screenplays for film and television, has contributed journalistic articles to many magazines in Italy and abroad and has written and conducted cultural programs and television documentaries for important international producers. was made into a film starring Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley and directed by Doug Lefler.