Hannibal: The General from Carthage

by Ernle Bradford

Book Overview

History has it that when Hannibal was a young boy, his father, ruler of Carthage, held his son over a fire and made him swear eternal enmity toward Rome. It was not necessary: The fire already burned... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0880296674
• ISBN13: 9780880296670
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Marboro Books
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic study on Hannibal and the Second Punic War

I picked up Bradford's 'Hannibal' at a used book store and couldn't put it down. Having just read other great military historians such as Shelby Foote and Michael Shaara, I put Bradford's work in the same category. Very easy to read, I was simply mesmerized by Hannibal's exploits against the Romans on their own turf (he never lost a battle in Italy). Strongly recommended.

Fantastic

The best book I've read on the best general ever. Andy Johnson

Should have been known as Hannibal the Great!

Nice book. Well written, based on good sources, and about one of the most exciting historical figures of all times. Even long after his death, one cannot underestimate Hannibal. Hannibal should have been one of the characters in the 1988 film "Bill and Teds Excellent Adventures."

Enjoyable Read

Hannibal by Ernle Bradford is a fine and enjoyable read about the history of the Second Punic War, with a principal focus on Hannibal's invasion of Italy and the subsequent 17 year occupation. It is obvious that the author is an admirer of Hannibal, and a grudging admirer of Rome. In some ways Hannibal is treated as a almost mythic character who not only was a military genius but attempted to fight a noble war. The Romans, on the other hand, are portrayed as devious, untrustworthy with their only saving graces being their perseverance and ability to eventually adapt to the superior abilities of Hannibal.The book greatest failures lie in the descriptions of the major battles, especially Cannae. One of the greatest military feats of history is dealt with in a few pages. While Bradford does describe the basics of the battle, he does so in a very perfunctory manner. The same is true for the other major engagements. Further, the almost total lack of maps makes the battles and the troop movements difficult to follow.The strength of the book is in the description of how the Romans eventually prevailed and Hannibal's miscalculations of the Roman persistence. After the destruction of up to 70,000 troops at Cannae, and numerous legions prior to the battle, most empires would have crumbled. Rome did not. The reasons for Rome's survival is the best reason to read this book.

Engaging and Well Paced Biography

Historically accurate information on Hannibal is unfortunately shaded by the winners- Roman sources or Greek writers under Roman influence- primarily relied upon to set out his "true character". Bradford does an admirable job of economically pointing out the bias of his sources and offers anecdotal evidence as well as common sense analysis to butress the proposition that Hannibal is perhaps the greatest military mind of the classical world,and was not merely a bloodthirsty despot. Hannibal was bold and innovative in strategy and tactics,introducing into set-piece battles strategies which would be adopted in modern warfare(and would be used by Scipio Africanus to defeat him at Zama). This book helps to balance the typical propaganda defeated enemies of Rome endure even today in general history books. Just as valuably,the book sheds light on the dynamics of Mediterranian political and economic life,Roman and Carthaginian intrigues against their own military leaders,and offers some entertaining side-notes about Hasdrubal Barca, father of Hannibal. Bradford's writing is accessible and entertaining,but should be followed up with other books on this era in order to fully appreciate how significant Hannibal's efforts on behalf of Carthage were.