Aníbal - Cartago E O Pesadelo Da República Romana (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This book was a great introduction to the Punic wars and Republican Rome. The reason I really enjoyed this book, other than the subject matter, is the fact that the author pays due reverence to fighting men. Rather than condemning the ancients for their barbarity and war mongering O'Connell tries to understand the reasons behind the constant warfare that raged in the Mediterranean basin. He has some interesting insights into the societal and psychological forces that drive men to make war. By acknowledging the bravery and toughness of the ancient warrior O'Connell avoids coming off as a little, egg headed, pussy, academic, which is more than most authors can say. I also liked that this book stays above the more mundane details that tend to bog down a lot of historical writing. Some would call this a lack of scholarly content or alternatively a hack and slash piece, but if your not a history professor who needs all the boring stuff anyways. In my opinion, this book had plenty of scholarly content that was just presented in much more appealing prose. [audio book] Not a whole lot new here for someone who knows the story. Might be higher for a new comer though I think the narrator is indifferent so 3 star it'll stay.It did give a good background to the origin of the conflict, but of course the main part of the book is on Hannibal (or the Barcid family). Whole most books on ancient history writes in a "timeless" manner, this one makes a lot of contemporary reference/jokes/asides. How you'll take that depends on your tolerance of noise (like the reference to Fine Young Hannibals). I think the author think himself more clever than he is.One new interpretation is that Rome's treatment of his defeated soldiers directly led to the eventual downfall of the Republic. The thesis is presented in the book with support, but IMO not enough to make it universally accepted. YMMV.
What do You think about Aníbal - Cartago E O Pesadelo Da República Romana (2012)?
One of the best book I've ever read on Hannibal the Hun.
—nefertari
easy to read, especially for the subject matter
—kenneth
