| Temporary like Achilles | 23 Jun 2014 9:58 p.m. PST |
Hello all, have (once more!) been doing a spot of reading around the Second Punic War. It prompted me to put together a list of books I find useful and post it on the blog here: link What then are your favourites / essentials / usefuls for this period? Can you give a quick summary? (BTW, no one needs to have read the blog post to comment. Doubling up on books is absolutely fine by me). Cheers,
Aaron |
| Hobhood4 | 24 Jun 2014 3:31 a.m. PST |
'The Ghosts of Cannae' by Robert L. O'Connell. Basically a very readable and informative history of all the Punic wars, even going back to the very nature of warfare in the ancient world,. However the main focus is necessarily on Hannibal's exploits. The thematic link is the Roman units which were banished after the Cannae debacle, and how they were subsequently treated by the Roman state. Although approachable in style this is by no means a simplistic account. There is quite a bit on sources and a welcome amount of historiography, and questioning of evidence. There is a good final chapter on how the battle has been considered in succeeding centuries. For the general reader, personalities are well drawn and there is lots of battle detail for the wargamer. Although American in origin it questions the tendency among some authors to draw parallels between ancient Rome with the modern American state. About the best for an interesting and up to date general read. |
| Temporary like Achilles | 24 Jun 2014 3:36 a.m. PST |
Thanks very much. Will put that on the to-buy list. Cheers! |
| Green Tiger | 24 Jun 2014 5:19 a.m. PST |
Livy, Polybius and Peddie ( Hannibal's War) |
| Marcus Brutus | 24 Jun 2014 5:47 a.m. PST |
I agree that Lazenby is an excellent starting point for the Second Punic War. Thorough, highly readable and filled with interesting insights this is my favouriate book of the period. |
| Korvessa | 24 Jun 2014 8:20 a.m. PST |
Somewhere in the dusty corners of my library (I think) I have a paperback copy of Harold Lamb's biography of Hanibal.
I read it as a preteen and later stole it from my brother. |
| olicana | 24 Jun 2014 9:19 a.m. PST |
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| ashill2 | 24 Jun 2014 11:36 a.m. PST |
I would not disagree with any of the books listed so far and would add one more: Scipio Africanus – Greater than Napleon by B. H. Liddell Hart. |
| Bellbottom | 24 Jun 2014 2:26 p.m. PST |
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| Temporary like Achilles | 24 Jun 2014 5:00 p.m. PST |
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| John the Selucid | 25 Jun 2014 1:06 p.m. PST |
A quick look through my book shelves has come up with the following which don't seem to have been mentioned, all of which I found had something to offer when I read them, quite often many years ago!
Hannibal, 2 volumes Theodore Ayrault Dodge
Hannibal, Ernie Bradford
The Punic Wars, Brian Caven
The Cambridge ancient history, volume VIII, Rome and the Mediterranean to 133BC (excellent for the geo-political overview)
100 great lives of antiquity, John Canning |
| phil bagnall | 27 Jun 2014 4:10 a.m. PST |
I can't claim family relationship to this one in spite of the name, though I would thoroughly recommend it as both readable and with good insight (author was a retired British Army general, & Chief of the General staff in the 1980s): The Punic Wars: Rome, Carthage and the Struggle for the Mediterranean, by Nigel Bagnall
link |
| Smokey Roan | 29 Jun 2014 4:00 p.m. PST |
I enjoyed the Dodge bio. How does it hold up? Do I need to read a more modern book? |
 oldbob  | 30 Jun 2014 6:36 a.m. PST |
olicana mentioned T.Bath's "Hannibal's Campaigns" which is meant for War Gamers. If you can find a copy grab it! |
| Tricorne1971 | 01 Jul 2014 12:11 p.m. PST |
While on the subject, I recently visited Lake Trasimene. The battlefield is actually interpetted with several driving stops each with maps and paintings of the event. Amazing |
| Limahman | 01 Jul 2014 3:47 p.m. PST |
Def go for Carthage by Adrian Goldsworthy! |
| Temporary like Achilles | 02 Jul 2014 7:07 p.m. PST |
Thanks guys, a few more books to hunt down! Cheers,
Aaron |
