Hannibal

Blackwell Ancient Lives

by Serge Lancel

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.

Genres: History, Biography, Ancient History, Nonfiction

243 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1995

Reviews

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 or Adrian Goldsworthy's book; 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 one decent account of Hannibal and an over-view of his role in the second Punic War than this book should fit the bill.

[Mehdi Jemaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Différent de ce que l'on peut lire de la part d'historien tunisien et italien une lecture fort enrichissante

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice biography about the life of Hannibal. For me the second part of this book (after the battle of Cannae) was better to read then the first part to be honest. It's true that there isn't much detailed information about the battles but there are many other books for that. Would recommend this book to anyone who want to read about Hannibal's life and his accomplishments.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good book to introduce you to the life of Hannibal Barca and the Second Punic war. However, it felt a bit shallow in details and scope; hence the 3 star rating for me.

[Franck · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best book I have ever read. I enjoyed the details of Hannibal journey to Rome with a detailed description of the battles.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense but thorough account of Hannibal.