The Greeks: A Global History by Roderick Beaton Faber, 608 pages, £25
Philip of Macedon – father of Alexander the Great – was famously victorious in the Olympic chariot race of 356 BC. The path to victory was not without its speedbumps, though, among them a disagreement over whether Philip was Greek enough to participate in the games at all. He definitely spoke the language, but only Greek athletes were accepted.