Hannibal : a Hellenistic life /

Hannibal is one of those people who was, quite literally, a legend in his own time. MacDonald (Univ. of Reading, UK) manages to tell a very coherent story in 239 pages of text and 68 pages of notes. The lengthy notes should not dissuade relatively novice readers; this book can be profitably read by anyone who has ever heard of Hannibal. The introduction includes Hannibal's family tree, good maps, and a brief history of the city-state of Carthage. The author establishes the context well with a discussion of other "great men" of the time: Alexander the Great, Agathocles, Pyrrhus, and the other successors of Alexander. What follows is a roughly chronological account of Hannibal's career, including his activities in Spain and Italy, ending with his exile and death at the Seleucid court in the East in 183 BCE at the age of 65. MacDonald finds room for some very good battle descriptions as well as details of the local politics of Carthage and the international politics of the age. A good read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most academic levels/libraries. --Janice J. Gabbert, emerita, Wright State University

MacDonald's (archaeology & classical studies, Univ. of Reading, England) scholarly study of Hannibal the Carthaginian (247-182 BCE) begins with a contextual background of the Carthaginian civilization, illustrating its origins in Phoenicia and its colonization of the Mediterranean. Hannibal is revealed as a man with motives, the son of the great warrior Hamilcar. The author contrasts and compares the narratives of Roman historian Livy and Greek chronicler Polybius by detailing the chess match that ensued between Rome and Carthage, including Hannibal's fantastic gamble over the Alps, the shocking outcome at the Battle of Cannae, and General Scipio's invasion of Africa. Keen readers are rewarded with extensive notes and citations; maps of the third-century BCE Mediterranean provide insight into the text's numerous geographic references. MacDonald uses every available resource to understand the conflict from Hannibal's perspective, gleaning Carthaginian cultural information from Roman sources, peeking into the internal motives and structure of Rome's famous rival. The work presents Hannibal's many faces: the military strategist, the impassioned leader of Carthage, the great organizer. VERDICT This text demands intense concentration, but its rewards for serious students of ancient history are boundless.-Jeffrey Meyer, Mt. Pleasant P.L., IA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.