The Punic Wars 264-146 BC (Essential Histories) [Paperback]

Nigel Bagnall (Author)

Book Description

Series: Essential Histories | Publication Date: February 25, 2002

The three Punic Wars lasted over 100 years, between 264 BC and 146 BC. They represented a struggle for supremacy in the Mediterranean between the bludgeoning land power of Rome, bent on imperial conquest, and the great maritime power of Carthage with its colonies and trading posts spread around the Mediterranean. This book reveals how the dramas and tragedies of the Punic Wars exemplify many political and military lessons which are as relevant today as when Hannibal and Scipio Africanus fought to determine the course of history in the Mediterranean.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This unique series studies every major war in history looking at all the aspects of war, from how it felt to be a soldier to the lasting impact of the conflict on the world around it.

About the Author

Nigel Bagnall was born in India in 1927, the son and grandson of Army Officers. He was educated at Wellington College and joined the army in January 1946. Commissioned a year later he saw service in Palestine, Malaya, the Canal Zone, Cyprus, Borneo, Singapore and Germany. He was Commander in Chief of the British Army of the Rhine and ended his career as Chief of the General Staff. He was a Defence Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford, and then an Honorary Fellow. Nigel Bagnall died in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (February 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763551
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763552
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.3 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Starter Volume, March 27, 2003

By 

Wallace V. French III (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Punic Wars 264-146 BC (Essential Histories) (Paperback)

Another decent Osprey book. Only 95 pages and easy to read. The book has some holes in the content, but it is only meant to be a starter. I mean how can you cover all three Punic Wars in 95 pages? You can't. I have read quite a few Osprey books because I like the abridged content, but in this case I didn't think the 95 pages was enough. For instance the battle of Cannae was covered in two pages. That just wasn't enough for the single most important battle of all the Punic Wars and one which could have ended Rome before it ever became the empire it grew into. I like the glossy pages and the color maps were very helpful. The author spends a little time on the social aspects of these wars between Carthage and Rome and how they affected ordinary citizens. This was helpful, but again it was only a couple pages and the one page bibliography wasn't much help for further reading. I'm sure it is difficult to write about the Punic Wars because it is all one sided. After the third war Carthage was completely wiped out so we have no evidence or writings which came out of Carthage. All the primary sources have come out of ancient Rome. Generally speaking I like these Essential Histories series of books and I would recommend these to anyone. However, if you really want to learn about the Punic Wars I would suggest searching elsewhere for a larger volume. This one is just too short.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good History of First and Second Punic Wars, August 14, 2005

By 

km86617 (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Punic Wars 264-146 BC (Essential Histories) (Paperback)

This book gives a decent summary of Polybius. Good maps, illustrations, and photographs enhance the reader's understanding of the geography and topography of battles.

"The Punic Wars," however, falls short in its summary of the Third Punic War: only three or four pages are spent discussing its events. Furthermore, the author provided excellent coverage of the interwar years between the first two wars, yet completely ignores the 50+ year gap between the end of the second war and beginning of the third.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brevity Is Not Always A Bad Thing, April 27, 2008

By 

Notnadia (Currently upstairs.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Punic Wars 264-146 BC (Essential Histories) (Paperback)

For someone already versed in Roman history, this book may not contain much new information, but for a reader who wants a good, short overview of the Punic Wars, then this works fine for that. At less than one-hundred pages, The Punic Wars 264-146 BC can be read in one sitting, and I found little quarrel with the author's presentation of facts or take on the conflict. Not comprehensive, not meant to be, this book is perfect for someone only wanting to gain a sound working familiarity with these conflicts.