Review by Booklist Review
By the last quarter of the third century BCE, the city state of Rome had gained mastery over most of the Italian peninsula and acquired Sicily by defeating Carthage in the first Punic War, but it was about to experience the greatest threat to its existence. As the second Punic War raged on, Hannibal emerged as one of the most remarkable military figures in history. Acknowledged Hannibal expert Hunt, an archaeologist, historian, and teacher at Stanford University, examines in depth Hannibal's activities in Carthage and Spain, though the central focus is on his invasion of Italy after crossing the Alps. For 15 years, Hannibal and his polyglot army consistently defeated numerically superior Roman forces. Hunt admiringly describes Hannibal's tactical and strategic brilliance as well as his uncanny ability to use weather and other natural conditions to his advantage. In the end, Hunt asserts that Hannibal's defeat was owing to political and military factors in Spain and Carthage beyond his control. This easily digestible and engrossing biography is ideal for general readers with an interest in ancient history.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hunt (When Empires Clash), professor of archeology at Stanford and frequent television host, sketches the great Carthaginian general Hannibal as the consummate warrior, an inspiring leader of his troops, and a tireless plotter constantly seeking an advantage over his Roman counterpart Scipio. In his youth Hannibal swore an eternal "vow to hate Rome," notes Hunt, and though the specifics here of his numerous battles sometimes fade into one another, Hannibal's life consisted of little else. The flourishes that make Hunt a popular on-air personality shine through: he describes how Hannibal's famous war elephants "snorkeled" across the Rhône, only their trunks above water, and how Hannibal may have lobbed baskets of venomous snakes into his adversaries' ships. The elephants, at least, came back to haunt him in his decisive defeat at Zama, when they were spooked by the Roman cavalry and rampaged through the ranks of his own recruits. After the war was lost, Hannibal found he had more enemies than allies in Carthage. His treatment there reminds us "how threatened lesser minds too often deal with originality and brilliance not so easily controlled or subverted." Hunt's story of the doomed general, whose exploits are more celebrated than those of his vanquishers, will appeal to any reader interested in military history or strategy. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by Library Journal Review
An appealing figure for popular historians, the Carthaginian general Hannibal (b. 247 BCE) possessed a combination of military strategy, good luck, and family legacy that makes for a dramatic tale. Hunt (archaeology, Stanford Univ.) uses these factors to present this straightforward study that, as with similar ancient histories, loses something owing to the limited sources available and their Roman bias. Nothing is known about Hannibal's early years or personal life; as a result, everything but the military history must be left vague. The author addresses the limits of the research sufficiently, but some of his attempts to explain Hannibal's psychology are unconvincing, particularly his youthful motivations for going to war. There is some discussion of Carthaginian history and culture, but this is not the focus of the book. Instead, the concentration is on battle, military strategy, and political alliances with Roman colonies or enemies. The military history is thorough and balanced; Hannibal is not presented as an enemy of Rome, but as an actor in his own right. VERDICT Drawing on both ancient and modern scholarship, this book is accessible for the nonspecialist; military history buffs will enjoy. [See Prepub Alert, 2/6/17.]-Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. Chicago Libs. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An archaeologist and historian shares his vast knowledge of the life of the leader of the second Punic War (213-202 B.C.E.).Hunt, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, displays an ability to teach without preaching and entertain without lowering literary standards, making for an exciting biography of one of history's greatest commanders. Hannibal was the son of Hamilcar Barca, who led the first Punic War and made his son swear an oath to destroy Rome after Carthage was defeated. Hamilcar believed that Carthage, a society dominated by merchants, capitulated much too quickly; it lost its mastery of the seas and monopoly of trade to the Romans and had to pay a large indemnity. Hamilcar was sent to their Spanish holdings to gather that indemnity from the silver mines, and he took his young son with him. There, Hannibal learned the finer arts of war, which he used to cross the Alps and wage more than 15 years of war in Italy. Drawing on the writings of Polybius and the often negative Livy, Hunt makes good use of primary sources. Hannibal surprised his enemies with hidden armies, relied on his spies and on local Celts, and even employed stampeded cattle with burning brush on their horns to destroy armies. Rome was blindsided by the Punic army and defeated in a series of battles, including the infamous Cannae. What Hannibal didn't understand is that Rome never considered itself defeated, no matter how many losses they suffered. Eventually, there was one Roman, Scipio, who paid attention to his methods, returned to the Fabian method of nonengagement, and mirrored Hannibal's mastery of deception and psychological warfare. Scipio actually met with Hannibal before their final battle at Zama in 202 and again in his exileoh, to have been a fly on the wall at that first meeting. Hunt does his best to grant us that wish. A thrilling page-turner about one of history's most brilliant strategists and tacticians. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
