[2VX]≫ PDF Gratis Hannibal Harold Lamb 9780523009018 Books

Hannibal Harold Lamb 9780523009018 Books

Download As PDF : Hannibal Harold Lamb 9780523009018 Books

Hannibal Harold Lamb 9780523009018 Books

First read this book in grade school. Another superb book by the great historian and writer, Harold Lamb. The paperback edition has small print. An excellent companion volume to "The Ghosts of Cannae" by Robert O'Connell.


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Hannibal Harold Lamb 9780523009018 Books Reviews

This is the first biography I've read of Hannibal, but it probably won't be the last. I very much enjoyed the book, especially after Alps. The beginning is a bit slow and tedious, but it necessary to understand the more interesting part in the middle. Taking the elephants over the alps was really the least of Hannibal's many achievements, and Lamb makes this clear. He discusses a number of persistent myths and probable myths, including the idea that Carthage intentionally left Hannibal unaided out of political jealousy on the part of it's council. From Lamb's account, it seems likely that Carthage did all she could, but the city was mercantile in nature and had very little military aid to give. Hannibal probably succeeded in giving her another 40 years of peace before the inevitable jealous annihilation by Rome.
Lamb also spends a fair amount of text on the curious parallels between Skipio Africanus (not to be confused with the Skipio who eventually sacked Carthage; that was an adopted grandson) and Hannibal. Lamb traces Skipio's rise to power, his work in putting Rome back on her feet to face Hannibal, his conquest of Africa, and his eventually disillusionment with Rome and self-imposed exile. He died in the same year as his old enemy.
In addition to being a great story, the audible recording is exceptionally clear and easy to understand in a tape adaptor.

The book was thoughtful and well-written. The reason I give it four stars rather than five is that Lamb's analysis at the end leaves something to be desired. He tries to make the point that Hannibal was the greatest proven general who ever lived. He says that the only other general worth comparing him to is Alexander because both Hannibal and Alexander maintained an army on a hostile continent for decades. This is quite true, and I agree with some of Lamb's points. However, I have read enough history on Alexander to say with confidence that Lamb ignores a few glaring facts. The two were in very different situations. Alexander was trying to consolidate an empire. He was trying to conduct his campaign in such a way as to endear himself to mutually hostile Greeks and Persians, as well as a host of other peoples. This balancing act was quite different from Hannibal's war of nerves with Rome. Lamb, however, seeks to make a comparison between the two after barely acknowledging the enormous differences between their goals and situations. This was unprofessional. I see no reason to have to manipulate the truth about Alexander in order to make him look bad so that Hannibal can look good. Hannibal comes off well enough as it is. However, when Lamb is not analyzing, I really enjoyed his book.
An older book but in good shape as advertised, minor yellowing of pages and drying of glue. Fast delivery. No complaints.
Had an issue and they were great in the way they delt with the problem . Thank you.
Would buy again!!!!
One of histories most awesome soldiers, as well as a great politician and incarnation of the rebellious spirit. Hannibal is THE Original Gangster, he is someone that everyone should read about.

This version is both scholarly, and shows Hannibal's perspective very well.
Hannibal

Years and years ago, when I was in elementary school I was fascinated by the saga of Hannibal Barca. (Yes they actually taught history then, geography too!) His was a story of which legends are born. Several years later I read a book on Hannibal by Harold Lamb simply titled Hannibal.

Harold Lamb - now deceased - was a historical writer. He wrote numerous books about intriguing subjects like The Crusades, Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander, Charlemagne, Fredrick the Great, Cyrus the Great and on and on, most of which I read. While I did receive a rudimentary background on all these characters and events in school, it was Harold Lamb that really brought these historical icons to life and of all of these larger than life legends, nobody did more with less than Hannibal Barca.

I'm sure many of you readers are probably familiar with the popular football parlance "The Best Defense Is a Good Offense". Well Hannibal was no football player but he sure utilized that theory. Hell, he invented it when, as a defensive maneuver, the great Carthaginian General crossed the Alps with a diverse army of forty thousand men and forty Elephants in the winter of 218 BC to confront Carthage's bitter enemy, fast rising power Rome. Most of his Elephants and many of his men perished on this trip.

Rome was a bully, an implacable foe and saw Carthage the only power on the horizon as a threat. Carthage was a prosperous city state of peaceful sea faring traders located directly south of Sicily, across the Mediterranean Sea, on the African coast (near present day Tunis). Carthage had fought two wars with Rome, fought mostly to a stalemate but in its most recent humiliating treaty with Rome they were restricted from applying their trade in the Mediterranean except in Spain and not above the Ebro River.

This virtually ceded the Mediterranean to Rome and forced Carthage to venture beyond the Pillars of Hercules to the Atlantic shores of Spain (actually today's Portugal). Hamilcar, Hannibal's father, a successful warrior general in his own right, colonized this area and built, among others, the village of New Carthage with thrived and grew into a powerful city. Hamilcar's brother, Hasdrubal, who took over after his brother's death, began consolidating power on the Iberian Peninsula including building villages on the Mediterranean coast. Hannibal, now a grown man and head of the army laid siege, albeit unsuccessfully to Saguntum. Eventually, Saguntum, a Greek city and Roman ally on the Spanish coast, complained to Rome about the Carthaginians.

This matter was put before the Senate where it was decided to issue an ultimatum, turn over Hannibal to Rome or face war. To the Roman emissaries' surprise, Carthage would not back down. War was mutually decided, hence Hannibal was notified and Hannibal and forty thousand men and forty elephants began their odyssey into history.

Hannibal's Coming

I'm sure you've heard someone tell their children "the Boogey Man is going to get you". Maybe you said it yourself, I know I have. The Roman "Boogey Man" was Hannibal. "Hannibal's coming. He's going to get you". Well Hannibal did more than scare little children. He scared the bejesus out of the whole country. Hannibal was a master tactician and General. He defeated one Roman army after another and spent twelve long years terrorizing the public in the Roman countryside. Hannibal was the man behind Rome's greatest defeat the famous Battle of Cannae in which not one but two great Roman armies faced the inscrutable, Carthaginian nemesis Hannibal. The Roman annihilation was crushing. Not only were fifty thousand warriors including ninety percent of their Tribunes killed but eighty members of the Senate who came to watch the slaughter were in turn slaughtered.

Rome was in a panic. No army stood between Hannibal and the capital and they prepared for a siege. Some of Hannibal's trusted officers urged him to advance on Rome but Hannibal blinked and in the end, many years later, it was his and Carthage's downfall.

Hannibal was a great tactician but he had little experience and no previous success (ref Saguntum) in laying siege to a fortified position so he was unable to consolidate his victories. In the twelve years he received little in the way of supplies or re-enforcement from Carthage, mostly living off the land and gaining recruits from subjugated people within. One time when his younger brother attempted to replicate Hannibal's trek across the Alps a messenger was intercepted leading to the destruction of the force and his brother's decapitated head being thrown into Hannibal's camp.

Eventually, as the fortunes started to change Hannibal's army started to melt away through deserters and attrition. In the end the great General met his end defending Carthage from overwhelming superiority.

CONCLUSION

Harold Lamb was a master at telling historical yarns. Where there were voids in the accepted historical record, Lamb sometimes interpolated events to fill in the gaps. His books are fun to read and I think he makes the subject, so many find boring, eminently compelling. His writing, though written by a scholar is not highbrow and is very easy to follow. It is written for the masses not for the few.

The book I read was only two hundred and eighty pages but the writing is small and probably equates to a present day book about a hundred pages longer.
First read this book in grade school. Another superb book by the great historian and writer, Harold Lamb. The paperback edition has small print. An excellent companion volume to "The Ghosts of Cannae" by Robert O'Connell.