Hannibal: One Man Against Rome [Paperback]

harold lamb (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam (1958)
• ASIN: B000L3AX8A
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,992,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars superb, excepting the analysis at the end, July 10, 2003

By 

Morpho menelaus (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hannibal: One Man Against Rome (Audible Audio Edition)

This is the first biography I've read of Hannibal, but it probably won't be the last. I very much enjoyed the book, especially after Alps. The beginning is a bit slow and tedious, but it necessary to understand the more interesting part in the middle. Taking the elephants over the alps was really the least of Hannibal's many achievements, and Lamb makes this clear. He discusses a number of persistent myths and probable myths, including the idea that Carthage intentionally left Hannibal unaided out of political jealousy on the part of it's council. From Lamb's account, it seems likely that Carthage did all she could, but the city was mercantile in nature and had very little military aid to give. Hannibal probably succeeded in giving her another 40 years of peace before the inevitable jealous annihilation by Rome.

Lamb also spends a fair amount of text on the curious parallels between Skipio Africanus (not to be confused with the Skipio who eventually sacked Carthage; that was an adopted grandson) and Hannibal. Lamb traces Skipio's rise to power, his work in putting Rome back on her feet to face Hannibal, his conquest of Africa, and his eventually disillusionment with Rome and self-imposed exile. He died in the same year as his old enemy.

In addition to being a great story, the audible recording is exceptionally clear and easy to understand in a tape adaptor.

The book was thoughtful and well-written. The reason I give it four stars rather than five is that Lamb's analysis at the end leaves something to be desired. He tries to make the point that Hannibal was the greatest proven general who ever lived. He says that the only other general worth comparing him to is Alexander because both Hannibal and Alexander maintained an army on a hostile continent for decades. This is quite true, and I agree with some of Lamb's points. However, I have read enough history on Alexander to say with confidence that Lamb ignores a few glaring facts. The two were in very different situations. Alexander was trying to consolidate an empire. He was trying to conduct his campaign in such a way as to endear himself to mutually hostile Greeks and Persians, as well as a host of other peoples. This balancing act was quite different from Hannibal's war of nerves with Rome. Lamb, however, seeks to make a comparison between the two after barely acknowledging the enormous differences between their goals and situations. This was unprofessional. I see no reason to have to manipulate the truth about Alexander in order to make him look bad so that Hannibal can look good. Hannibal comes off well enough as it is. However, when Lamb is not analyzing, I really enjoyed his book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HANNIBAL by Harold Lamb, June 16, 2008

By 

thepaxdomini "The Book Review" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hannibal: One man against Rome (Paperback)

Hannibal is Harold Lamb's biography of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca. Hannibal is an enigmatic figure. Most of what we know about him was recorded by his enemies, and Lamb has taken innumerable accounts into consideration.

This book chiefly covers the Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.). Hannibal crossed the Alps, a feat which became legend, and ran amok in Italy years, defeating all comers (and many Roman commanders tried and failed to defeat him). Lamb gives great attention to Hannibal versus Scipio Africanus. This book also covers Hannibal's return to Carthage and later exile to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Lamb's writing is dry at times, and Hannibal can seem like a textbook. But Lamb does a fantastic job of providing historical context, and he is excellent in his description of battles and strategy. He also does a solid job of showing the personalities of Hannibal and the various Roman commanders.

On the whole this is an excellent biography of Hannibal, an excellent history in general, and a good treatise on warfare of the day.

RECOMMENDED

5.0 out of 5 stars Best read on Hannibal!, August 12, 2011

By 

Tkala - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hannibal: One Man Against Rome (MP3 CD) (Audio CD)

I am big fan of Hannibal and until now I have read through Plutarch where Hannibal has been mentioned as a adversary in the biography of noble Roman's, read translations of Livy and Polybius as well. But this book is one of my favorite! Nothing has covered that time so well as this book. It covers how Hannibal must have thought and strategized which is inferred from the actions he took (since there is little or no written documentation of his plans or thoughts specially compared to Roman nobles whose actions and thoughts are very well documented).

Overall it unravels the mind of Hannibal based on his actions and Roman response while also painting a vivid picture of that time.