Robin Lane Fox, in the Australian (July 14, 2004):

BIG movies are notorious for trampling on history; I have recently given the year's biggest movie the chance of trampling on a historian. In November, Oliver Stone's film about Alexander the Great will burst on the world.

I have been the film's historical adviser and in September last year I galloped on my stallion across the Moroccan desert at the head of Oliver's cavalry charge. We were filming the battle of Gaugamela, Alexander's greatest victory over the Persians.

Both advising and acting roles came as a result of my book about Alexander and my lifelong study of him. Charging across the desert gave me a unique opportunity for some first-hand historical research. Can we really understand the horse-bound charges that were essential to Alexander's famous victories if we have never tried to carry one out? It was also a fantasy and spectacularly good fun....

When Stone invited me to London two years ago to discuss Alexander with him, perhaps I should have asked for millions of dollars and a film credit for my book. No doubt he would have found somebody else to advise him among the dozens of more prudent historians who also engage with this subject around the world. Before our meeting, however, I had arranged my priorities in case the relationship went well. I decided to ask for two rewards: a place in the first 15 of every major cavalry charge to be filmed in Alexander's company and the words "and introducing" in front of my name in the credits.

Even Stone was taken aback by this request. He pointed out that "and introducing" would be impossible because there is a professional hierarchy in such matters. My request to ride in the cavalry charge caused him consternation too, until I assured him that I have ridden for 45 years and risked every bone, still unbroken, in my body in the yearly pursuit of English foxes. There would be health and safety problems, he hardly needed to tell me, but, "OK, I'll tell them to do it, if I possibly can .. we'll have a rebel on horseback ... you're mad; you're a cross between Peter Sellers and Ian Fleming."...

My colleagues told me that for historians, Stone was supposed to be like Satan, perhaps because they had seen his film of Nixon and I had not. Like the poet John Milton, I have to say I quickly became very fond of Satan. Anyway, the claim that Stone has no historical sense is completely untrue. ...