Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War [Paperback]

John Prevas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2001

When he left his Spanish base one spring day in 218 B.C. with his 100,000-man army of mercenaries, officers, and elephants, Hannibal was launching not just the main offensive of the Second Punic War but also one of the great military journeys in ancient history. His masterful advance through rough terrain and fierce Celtic tribes proved his worth as a leader, but it was his extraordinary passage through the Alps—still considered treacherous even by modern climbers—that made him a legend. John Prevas combines rigorous research of ancient sources with his own excursions through the icy peaks to bring to life this awesome trek, solving the centuries-old question of Hannibal's exact route and shedding fresh light on the cultures of Rome and Carthage along the way. Here is the finest kind of history, sure to appeal to readers of Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire: alive with grand strategy, the clash of empires, fabulous courage, and the towering figure of Hannibal Barca.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Prevas, writer and adventurer, holds degrees in history, political science, psychology, and forensics and has taught the classics for the last fifteen years. He is the author of Hannibal Crosses the Alps and Xenophon's March. He lives in Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306810700
• ISBN-13: 978-0306810701
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 2200 Year Old Historical Odyssey, April 2, 2005

By 

Seachranaiche (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War (Paperback)

After reading David Anthony Durham's vivid novel "Pride of Carthage", a good follow-up for the reader interested in learning more about Hannibal and the Second Punic War is John Prevas' "Hannibal Crosses the Alps". Prevas has made the journey himself many times, so he is able to give accurate site reports of the various routes Hannibal is speculated to have taken over the Alps. Hannibal traveled with an army of tens of thousands of soldiers and as many as 37 war elephants. As Prevas makes his case for a crossing at Col de la Traversette, the reader is held in awe of Hannibal's tenacity and daring.

"Hannibal Crosses the Alps" is just the right size for the reader looking for a good snapshot of the Second Punic War: the book is not too short, but neither does it drown in detail. There is a good chronology in the front, some maps and photos, an extensive bibliography, and an index. More remarkable, though, is Prevas' case for Hannibal's route. The actual route has been lost to history, but Prevas has hiked though the region, and he painstakingly compares the natural features he observed to those recorded in Polybius and Livy. His conclusions are hard to refute, and baring future archeological finds, I believe his conclusions are very sound. His book will also help the reader of Durham's novel fit what is known into Durham's fictional account.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hannibal's Route Revealed... at last, April 29, 2002

By 

Tom Jensen (Pacific Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War (Paperback)

Never have so many books sprung from such meager sources. The exploits of Hannibal come to us from 1000-year-old translations of 2000-year-old lost manuscripts, Polybius and Livy being the main waterbearers here and highly recommended. I've been studying Hannibal for the past year now and have read dozens of books. This book by John Prevas is a worthy effort but feels flawed in many respects. Frankly, I felt that Mr. Prevas never let the facts stand in the way of a good story and took far too many liberties. For example, he frequently tries to tell us what Hannibal was thinking and how he felt at each juncture of the crossing when we don't even know what Hannibal looked like! There were many times when his summaries of the history leading up to the crossing varied from many of the other sources I've read. Who should I trust?

However, the heart of the book is the actual crossing of the alps and the route that Hannibal took. This section was excellent and backed up by five years of Mr. Prevas hiking in the alps and 8-10 pages of photos proving that Hannibal's route did NOT follow the Isere River, as most historians and books allege, but began on the Drome River and continued up the Durance toward the gorge where the second ambush by the Gauls occurred. This section felt authentic, for me, made the book well worth purchasing.

So, I recommend this book... as long as you also grab a copy of Lancel's Hannibal and Polybius and Livy. All three are good reads.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Convincing evidence, August 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The Invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War (Paperback)

John Prevas has done some very fine research here and should be commended for giving so much evidence to his theory on the path that Hannibal took over the Alps. However, he continuously repeats himself many times in the book and this made it sometimes difficult to get through. All in all a very convincing theory of Hannibals pass over the Alps. Until a body or some other hard physical evidence is found that proves without a doubt where Hannibal actually crossed the Alps, I will stick with Mr. Prevas and his theory. Highly recommend the book for students of military history who do not want a whole lot of excitement with their reading, you will not find much action here. If you want action, read Caesers Commentaries. I give 4 stars for the amount of time and personal sacrifice that Mr. Prevas put into the work by going to the locations through a number of years of research and on site camping, must have been exciting to be where Hannibal had been.

Not a bad book but often times dry and unexciting.