The Mad King and the Secret History of Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to all. Here's an interesting piece of history regarding the origins of Hanukkah. In the past I had read Chaim Potoks' book "Wanderings - A History of the Jews" and recall it covering the desecration of the Temple and the Maccabees uprising, but I don't recall him writing about what lead to Hanukkah. It was a few years ago I read the book so my mind is a bit fuzzy. Guess I'll be rereading it.