The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was arguably the greatest and most desperate conflict of Antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era, while the eventual outcome had far reaching consequences for the history of the Western World, namely the ascendancy of Rome. An epic of war and battle, this is also the story of famous generals and leaders: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, and his grandson Scipio Aemilianus who would finally bring down the walls of Carthage.

About the Author

Adrian Goldsworthy has a doctorate from Oxford University. His first book, The Roman Army at War, was recognised by John Keegan, the distinguished military historian, as an exceptionally impressive work. Dr Goldsworthy's book in The Cassell History of Warfare series has also been widely recognised as exceptional in opening the history of Roman warfare to the general reader. Dr Goldsworthy lives in Penarth, South Glamorgan.

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4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars DELENDA EST CARTHAGO, 2 Nov 2000

By	Aussie Reader ""Rick"" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Punic Wars (Cassell Military Trade Books) (Hardcover)

"Carthage Must be Destroyed" those most famous words were spoken by Marcus Porcius Cato in the 2nd Century BC. In this new book on the Punic Wars by Adrian Goldsworthy we are taken back into this most fascinating period of history. We follow in the steps of Hannibal, Hasdrubal, Hamilcar, Scipio Africanus and many more famous and infamous commanders and leaders as the Roman Legions and the soldiers and sailors of Carthage clash in this gigantic struggle of the Ancient World.

Each of the three wars are described in as much detail as possible bearing in mind the lack of primary sources for some periods. We follow the stalemate in Sicily during the First Punic War (264-241 BC). Then the more famous struggle in Spain and Italy during the Second Punic War (218-202 BC), followed by the final Roman victory in the Third Punic War (149-146 BC).

The author provides details of all the famous battles, Trebia, Lake Trasimene, Cannae and of course Zama. He also follows the lesser-known campaigns in Spain, Macedonia and Sicily. I found the author to be very fair in his assessment of the commanders and their decisions and offers comments on the sources used in his book and others.

I would compare this book favourably with Nigel Bagnall's 'Punic Wars' and both books sit proudly in my library. The author took the time to explain the military traditions, training and tactics of the two opponents, which assisted greatly when it came to follow the battles. 16 maps are provided to assist in the narrative and all where of a decent standard however, no illustrations were to be found in the book.

The book was easy to read and the narrative flowed along faultlessly. Overall this is a very decent one-volume account of the Punic Wars and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys decent history or who has a love for this period.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional history of the Punic Wars, 5 Jan 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Punic Wars (Cassell Military Trade Books) (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book which is a first class piece of history. It gives an excellent history of the Punic Wars which will appeal to both the specialist and generalist reader. Goldsworth writes in an easy and lucid way, and is also good at stressing many of the limitations of the historical sources. Goldsworthy covers want is known in commendable detail, and has put the various aspects of the struggle between Rome and Carthage, ranging from strategy to tactics and state policy, into proper perspective.

The best history of the Punic Wars around. Worth buying - paperback version came out last year.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic book, 24 Sep 2002

By	Timothy Sherwin (Nottingham) - See all my reviews

This distilation of such writers as Livy, Polibius and others was amazing. I battled my way through Polybius, but this makes for a much lighter and more interesting read. The information was set out well and was easy to access and to my knowledge all his points were well-made and set out. He was also always careful to consider all existing opinions. An excellent read!

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3.0 out of 5 stars A recent and comprehensive history
This book is clearly well researched and includes the latest historical sources, but it fails to excite the reader with the importance of the events. Read more

Published on 5 Jan 2003 by Rw Lawson

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and well written
I picked this up for reading over christmas knowing nothing about the punic wars.

Well written and easy to follow, it was very informative.

Published on 8 Jan 2001

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