Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: Good info on Punic Wars?

  1. #1
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Hello all,
    I've always been interested in reading about the Punic Wars and so I thought I'd post on here about books concerning them. Any recommendations on good non-fiction books concerning these wars? I'm mostly interested in the First Punic War, but would love to learn more about all three of them. When you recommend a book, please tell me why you recommened it.
    The books that I've read on the subject are:

    The Punic Wars by Brian Caven
    The First Punic War by JF Lazenby
    Hannibal's Dynasty by Dexter Hoyos
    The Rise of the Roman Empire by Polybius (Penquin books translation)
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  2. #2
    Senator
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Jacksonville, Florida.
    Posts
    1,290

    Default

    Adrian Goldsworthy's book Punic Wars is great. Its a little long but very interesting and accurate.

    "Where is the horse and his rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountains"

    There are two things in life about which we should never grumble: the first, that which we cannot change; and second, that which we can change.

  3. #3
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Great, thanks for the suggestion. Have you read any other books on the Punic Wars? If so, how does his book hold up to the others? I've heard good things about Goldsworthy, so I'd assume that his book is pretty good.
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  4. #4
    Senator
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Jacksonville, Florida.
    Posts
    1,290

    Default

    Ive read many war books and this is one of the best. Very good reading.

    "Where is the horse and his rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountains"

    There are two things in life about which we should never grumble: the first, that which we cannot change; and second, that which we can change.

  5. #5
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Excellent! I'll go order it from amazon ASAP
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  6. #6
    aves's Avatar Military Historian
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    681

    Default

    I'd highly recommend Hannibal by Theodore Ayrault Dodge

    He was a Civil War Colonel that became on of the 19th century's most vaunted authors of military history

    He was dedicated to "walking in the footsteps" of his subjects. And made carefull studies of the terrain, how time has altered it, and saw with his own eyes almost every battlefield he wrote about. He is most famous for his four volume study of Napoleon (which I have yet to aquire as a whole) and his book Caesar. After Caesar he wrote Alexander which I have yet to purchase. Frustrated with the limits placed on his famous first-hand approach (due to the political climate of the Middle East) he turned next to Hannibal. In my Academic circles this book is highly praised and is the mark which other studies strive to attain.

    If you do not like the 19th century writing style, or do not find Herodotus, Livy, or Polybius as reliable sources (and I would respectfully question that opinion) this is not the account for you. Dodge acknowledges their exagerations, but views them as his core sources in this refreshing un-revisionist account of Hannibal. :

  7. #7
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Excellent! Another good source to look into. Thanks! As for not trusting Livy, Polybius, Dio and others I would say that not reading those accounts is a mistake. I completly agree that those sources are extremly usefull (but must be taken with a grain of salt) and necessary for understanding the Punic Wars. Is Dodge's book currently in print or is that something I have to hunt down? Hmmm, now I need to put yet another book on my Amazon.com wish list. Thanks again!
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  8. #8
    aves's Avatar Military Historian
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    681

    Default

    It was reprinted in 1995, and I was able to get a copy from Borders. So I would assume Amazon has it. Hope you can get it and enjoy it :

  9. #9
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Yeah, it's available. I found it at Borders (and got a nice discount cause my brother just got hired there ). Thanks again for the recommendation!
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  10. #10
    Acutulus's Avatar Civitate
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Springfield Mo.
    Posts
    1,500

    Default

    I'd highly recommend Hannibal by Theodore Ayrault Dodge
    It's a good book, but you get the feeling Dodge gets sexually aroused everytime he hears "Barca" Adrian Goldsworthy's book is my favorite, and anything Conolly has written on the subject is indespensible. No doubting Conolley's creds, when someone spends 20 years trying to pin point Hannibal's exact route through the Alps, he's more than a little versed. "Greece and Rome at War" is his highley sourced and detailed history of the Greek and Roman armies, and he gives plenty of time to the Second Punic war, it's a shame he hasn't written a full book on the wars, however.
    Proud Patron of Battle Knight and Asterix

  11. #11
    Manstein
    Guest

    Default

    Originally posted by glorfindel87@Oct 31 2004, 10:18 PM
    Adrian Goldsworthy's book Punic Wars is great. Its a little long but very interesting and accurate.
    Very good book!

    Well, I can't believe that the narrations of Polibius, Appian, and Livy haven't been mentioned.... :w00t:

  12. #12
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Manstein,
    What books are available by Appian? The only one that I've found available is the series put out by Loeb (HUP). Have you read it and do you recommend it? I have read Polybius and learned a lot from it (mainly because Polybius had access to Philineus [sp?] and other sources that have long since been lost). I was hoping to find texts that deal mainly with the first Punic War because I am interested in learning more about Hamilcar Barca and Rome's first tentative steps towards empire. The Cambridge Ancient History vol. VII pt. 2 has some good info in it, but I'm looking for a more in depth narrative of the war.
    As for Livy, I'm starting to read his works in school, but we're focusing on Hannibal's invasion and not the first Punic War. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  13. #13

    Default

    Book which Theodore wrote about Hannibal is great indeed. What he adored about Hannibal was his understanding of warfare.
    Acutulus, Theodore is dead for 85 years, so instead writting 'gets' you should wrote 'got'.

  14. #14
    Libertus
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cambria
    Posts
    74

    Default

    The Punic Wars....Nigel Bagnall

    Former military man looking at and examining/relating all aspects of the Punic Wars.Not,perhaps a hard-core book but certainly a good companion to above listings and one that eases the reader into the subject matter and sets the scene for future research!

    Also been reading Hannibal's Dynasty(mentioned above)...a decent examination on the motivations and mechanations of the Barcid's rise to power and their Imperial aspirations!

  15. #15
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    Is that Nigel Bagnell book you're referring to the Osprey book?
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  16. #16
    falx's Avatar Civitate
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Stuttgart, Deutschland
    Posts
    463

    Default

    Since nobody mentioned any links, thought I might do it. The best I can think of is:
    http://www.barca.fsnet.co.uk/
    Enjoy.
    It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it's about the size of the fight in the dog.


  17. #17
    Dico tibi verum, libertas optima rerum, nunquam servili sub nexu vivito, fili
    Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.

  18. #18
    Decemvir's Avatar vox veritas vita
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Sunny California, USA
    Posts
    184

    Default

    For anyone that's interested I started reading Cultural Politics In Polybius's Histories by Cragie Champion. So far it seems to be quite an interesting read. Champion seems to believe that Polybius was not so much a pet of the Scipio's as has been previously believed. Instead Champion believes that Polybius was in fact writing his Histories for Greeks as a way to learn (and perhaps defeat?) the Romans. Anyway, I haven't finished it yet, but so far it's a very good read. I highly recommend it.
    Under the Patronage of Soren

  19. #19
    qnzkid711's Avatar Senator
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Queens, New York
    Posts
    1,125

    Default

    The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars by Adrian Goldsworthy.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •