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Hannibal, Invader from Carthage
134 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1968
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February 15, 2024
The last time we were studying ancient history in our homeschool my listeners were about 7, 9 and 11 and I chose The Story of Hannibal by Johanna Johnston. I remember enjoying it and thought it was well written, so my initial plan was to choose it again for my now-12-year-old (since he didn't remember listening to it at age 7). I got about a chapter in and he asked me, "Mom, do we really need to read a biography with so much dialog?...I just want to know what he did." 🙄😁
It turns out, my 12 year old really enjoys books with a more straightforward style - and ones that will give ALL the details of the battles. The books we've read so far in the "Immortals" series by Franklin Watts, might come across as a bit more dry for some readers, but they are still engaging books for readers/listeners at a middle school level and up.
Hannibal, Invader from Carthage, begins with Hannibal's childhood and a brief overview of his father Hamilcar Barca's actions in the First Punic War, before moving on to a detailed account of Hannibal's actions as leader of the Carthaginian armies. His crossing of the Alps, invasion of Italy, and subsequent battles are covered in detail. I appreciated the quotes from ancient sources such as Livy and Polybius in describing the words and actions of Hannibal. While they are not primary sources per se, they at least were living in a time closer to when the events took place!
Missing from this book that would have been helpful are maps. None are included, so we had open our DK Battles Map by Map book to refer to the 2 page spread on the 2nd Punic War, as well as checking other atlases for reference.
Prices for this book are currently $28+, but we read it for free via the Internet Archive.
Interesting tidbit about the author: Robert N. Webb wrote 5 books in the "We Were There" series of historical fiction books!
Target audience for this book: Middle school/high school
Content Consideration: Descriptions of deaths and injuries in battle
Rating for me: 4.5 stars - I think this book does an excellent job of what it is trying to do, and will be enjoyed by those looking for non-fiction at the middle school/high school level.
It turns out, my 12 year old really enjoys books with a more straightforward style - and ones that will give ALL the details of the battles. The books we've read so far in the "Immortals" series by Franklin Watts, might come across as a bit more dry for some readers, but they are still engaging books for readers/listeners at a middle school level and up.
Hannibal, Invader from Carthage, begins with Hannibal's childhood and a brief overview of his father Hamilcar Barca's actions in the First Punic War, before moving on to a detailed account of Hannibal's actions as leader of the Carthaginian armies. His crossing of the Alps, invasion of Italy, and subsequent battles are covered in detail. I appreciated the quotes from ancient sources such as Livy and Polybius in describing the words and actions of Hannibal. While they are not primary sources per se, they at least were living in a time closer to when the events took place!
Missing from this book that would have been helpful are maps. None are included, so we had open our DK Battles Map by Map book to refer to the 2 page spread on the 2nd Punic War, as well as checking other atlases for reference.
Prices for this book are currently $28+, but we read it for free via the Internet Archive.
Interesting tidbit about the author: Robert N. Webb wrote 5 books in the "We Were There" series of historical fiction books!
Target audience for this book: Middle school/high school
Content Consideration: Descriptions of deaths and injuries in battle
Rating for me: 4.5 stars - I think this book does an excellent job of what it is trying to do, and will be enjoyed by those looking for non-fiction at the middle school/high school level.
Displaying 1 of 1 review