Hannibal [Paperback]

Serge Lancel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631218483 | ISBN-13: 978-0631218487 | Publication Date: October 13, 1999

This is an historical biography of Hannibal, the military leader of Carthage responsible for waging a dramatic onslaught on Rome during the Punic Wars. One of the few generals of history to be famous for the war he lost, Hannibal's attack in 218BC - which included his renowned march of elephants across the Alps - ranks amongst the most courageous and ill-fated enterprises in the history of the ancient world. This definitive biography of one of the most fascinating figures of ancient history offers a fresh perspective on the demise of the Hellenistic world and the rise of Rome.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Few military leaders are remembered in history for their mistakes rather than their successes. One of the famous exceptions is George Custer, whose tactical blunder at Little Big Horn is a notable setback in America's westward expansion. Another, more ancient example is the Carthaginian leader Hannibal, who twice had it in his power to conquer the Roman empire and twice failed to act quickly enough to do so.

He would forever rue his error, writes the sympathetic French historian Serge Lancel in this thoroughly researched biography; like Napoleon, Hannibal spent his last days in island exile (in his case, on Crete), lamenting his missteps and longing for another chance to rule the world. Even so, writes Lancel, Hannibal had many accomplishments of which to be proud, notably his difficult passage of the Alps with a huge army of men, horses, and elephants, and his defeat of the Roman armies at the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C., a defeat that cost the Romans some 70,000 men. --Gregory McNamee --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Lancel's new study should remain for some time to come the best treatment in English focusing on Hannibal specifically. Eminently readable and with a chronological chart and maps, Hannibal will appeal to readers at all levels." Choice

"Hannibal combines readability with solid scholarship. Lancel's particular strength is his close acquaintance with things Carthaginian. He has excavated there and is the author of a history of the city which is also available in English. This competence means that, in so far as the source material will allow it, he is able to write from a sympathetic Punic perspective." Greece and Rome

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (October 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631218483
• ISBN-13: 978-0631218487
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,520,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > History > Africa > Tunisia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive, intelligent and readable book, July 18, 2000

By 

chuck_L (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hannibal (Hardcover)

The trouble with all books about Hannibal is that they all tend to read rather much the same, which simply reflects the fact that virtually all our information of him derives from only two written sources (Polybius, who was semi-contemporaneous, and Livy), so biographically it's kinda difficult for any author of a Hannibal book to get any new angle or info on him. Thanks to the Romans' thorough destruction job on old Carthage, there is minimal archeological or other primary documentary evidence to add to our knowledge of him, so unless someday something turns up somewhere else (bearing in mind he actually spent more of his life away from Carthage)...

What therefore helps to make this book stand out from others, is that the author is a respected academic and authority on the subject (he has excavated Carthage - see his other book) who clearly knows his stuff.

His comments and discussion are balanced and intelligent, and being a fairly recent book is able to take account of modern views and research. What is also good is that he avoids sacrificing the book's readability with being overly detailed on every aspect, but yet caters for those looking for more detail in places with specific literature references in his narrative. In my judgment the information contained is very thorough and sufficiently detailed, for most readers, without being overwhelming.

I should think this book is probably as good as any other book on Hannibal currently in print (if not one of the better ones).

However, in my opinion the best book is the now out-of-print "Hannibal: The Struggle for Power in the Mediterranean" by Gavin De Beer, which is comprehensive, highly readable and (best of all) is lavishly illustrated with color plates and photographs on nearly every page; - something which alas is lacking in most other books including this one, which only contains twelve simple diagrams/maps, not counting the front cover picture.

In summary, though, this is a scholarly yet very readable account of Hannibal which pretty much tells you all there is we have available to know about this awesome guy.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Biography of a Great Military Commander, December 26, 1998

By 

Aussie Reader ""Rick"" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hannibal (Hardcover)

This was an interesting account of Hannibal provided by this French author, who is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Grenoble. He utilises most contempary and some modern accounts of Hannibal and his campaigns and also offers his views on those accounts to assist the reader in judging the accuracy of the text.

At times I found the narrative to become a bit muddled and somewhat dry but overall he offers a decent biography of this Great Commander. I would have appreciated a more in-depth account of his battles but the author does provide details of every facet of Hannibals campaigns including the political background at the time.

For those looking for a more detailed military history of Hannibal and his role in the Punic Wars I would recommend Nigel Bagnall's 'The Punic Wars'. For a view from "the other side" I would recommend 'Scipio Africanus, Greater than Napoleon' by Liddell Hart.

However if you just want a decent account of Hannibal and an over-view of his role in the second Punic War than this book should fit the bill.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Details Without Exaggeration, November 22, 2000

By 

Rob C. (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hannibal (Hardcover)

I found this book a very concise and scholarly work on the life and battles of the great general Hannibal. Though no new ground is covered in this treatise, it is very well written and translated and would be an excellent read before embarking on a report or essay on the battle of Rome.

Understandable and enlightening, this book covers the life of the general as well as most other books currently in print though not as well as some that are difficult to find today. Without question factual, this book was meticulously researched and verified. Still, since we have little evidence from a historical standpoint other than what has alrady been offered, there is nothing new to glean from the pages of this book.

One of the best attibutes of this book is the lack of embellishment or dramatic affectation of the battles Hannibal fought. The facts are credible and thoroughly investigated.

Because of the interesting pitch and composition of the writing, this would be an ideal book for teachers to require students from high school onwards to read. It is compelling enough to hold their interest and edcuational enough to impart some knowledge of the antiquities.