Hannibal

By: Ernle Bradford

Narrated by: Peter Jones

At the bloody battle of Cannae, he trounced a Roman army twice the size of his own. With his brothers, he subdued nearly all of Italy, Spain, and Northern Africa. A cunning tactician, he secured victory for Bithynia at sea by catapulting poisonous snakes onto the decks of his enemy’s ships. Biographer Ernle Bradford draws on the historical writings of Livy, Polybius, Plutarch and others in re-creating the fantastic story of the greatest general since Alexander the Great.

©1981 Ernle Bradford (P)1993 Recorded Books, LLC

How Rome quickly grew up

This narrative is fascinating, well researched, & an objective bio of the famous general but also a surprisingly good primer on the seeds of the Roman Empire. The author explained how the genius general was the catalyst for evolution of the Roman military and the birth of their Navy. Before listening to this book it’s very helpful to study a map of the Mediterranean to familiarize yourself with the location of Carthage, Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, Italy, and the Alps. The author repeatedly said that a “general is a good strategist & tactician” but doesn’t explain the difference so it’s useful to google the terms. The narrator is very good but I found it annoying that he pronounced celtic with a soft C (like 19th century UK speakers) instead of the preferred contemporary hard C pronunciation.

strong book

detailed and enlightening. this book is worth the purchase. i look forward to more books like this.

Perfect Balance of Narrative and Analysis

Like Bradford's history of the siege of Malta, this is an outstanding example of how history used to be (and sometimes still is) written for the non-specialist: approachable without being simplistic, academically sound without a trace of condescension.

Having risen from Ordinary Seaman to First Lieutenant in the Royal Navy while serving in the Mediterranean during the Second World War, and spending some 30 years yachting in those same waters, Bradford has an intimate knowledge of the stage upon which this amazing drama played out. And his writing is as keen as his insights.

When I heard Patrick Tull's remarkable voice reading the intro to this recording I regretted that he wasn't going to see me through the rest of the book. But Peter Jones turned out to be just as fine a performer.

An enjoyable, well read history

The book itself is admirable. Having read many books on Hannibal, I can say that this is one of the better ones for amateur historians who may not know the geography or topography of ancient Italy, Spain, or North Africa. Naval warfare is largely overlooked, so those who are interested in that are likely to find this inadequate. The reading is perhaps dry, but the voice is well suited to the seriousness of the terrible war the book tells us of.
5/5