Hannibal

One Man Against Rome

By: Harold Lamb

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the breathtaking adventure of the great Carthaginian general who shook the foundations of Rome. When conflict between Rome and Carthage resumed in 219 B.C., after a brief hiatus from the first Punic War, the Romans decided to invade Spain. Eluding several Roman legions sent out to intercept him in Spain and France, Hannibal Barca astoundingly led his small army of mercenaries over the Alps and thundered down into the Po Valley. The Carthaginian swept all resistance from his path and, as one victory led to another, drove a wedge between Rome and its allies. Hannibal marched up and down the Italian peninsula for 18 years, appearing well nigh invincible to a Rome which began to doubt itself for the first time in its history.

This violent and exciting narrative will thrill you with the accounts of heroism and brilliance displayed on both sides as the war raged mercilessly across the entire Western Mediterranean. Learn how the patience of Fabius Maximus and the genius of Lucius Cornelius Scipio finally turned the tide in this, the world's first "global" conflict...a conflict whose aftermath proved to be one of the most decisive and enduring events in world history. And finally, learn the secret to the success of Hannibal, the most brilliant military commander of all time.

©2003 Audio Connoisseur (P)2003 Audio Connoisseur

Hanibal is at the gates!!!

This was a great audiobook, and the narrator did a great job of bringing Hanibal alive. The history/geography was somewhat detailed at points, but I was sufficiently grasped by the book to look up maps of Italy in the 3rd century. Overall one of the best audiobooks I've listened too...it was almost like Gladiator/Braveheart in a book...and the fact that 2nd Punic war is real made it much better.

Excellent book on a remarkable man

This is the 1st Audible book I have listened and I wasn't disappointed; neither will you. The narrator is excellent, changing his tone and using inflections to help you distinguish between characters. He keeps it clear & interesting.

I know that Alexander the Great is viewed as the greatest conqueror and military mind in history, and everyone else is compared to him, but after hearing this book I think that Hannibal Barker (did I spell his name right?) may have been short changed a bit. The decisions made by Hannibal, his superior ability to lead people and his subsequent victories throughout Spain and Italy were amazing. His battles against his rivals, Maximus and Scipio, are fascinating. How their decisions changed the course of things to come (both for themselves, their nations and history). This book has made me want to look further into other historical figures (something I was lacking in doing before).

I highly recommend this book. If you are into history or learning about important historical figures I don't think you'll be disappointed with this book. The only criticism I have is that the book never gives you any reference as to where these events took place in modern today. I would suggest looking through the net and familiarize your self with the Mediterranean, Italy, Spain and Northern Africa during the 200 - 300 BC era. This will help you enormously with your visualization of where these battles and events took place.
Again, Highly Recommended!!

Great Book

Get's you hooked. Told in a most convincing manner.

Good but not great

Still the definitive book on Hannibal by all accounts the book suffers by perhaps a lack of material to work with given the sources available. It gives only a cursory review of the major battles from a tactical perspective; however, the author states early that more qualified military writers have written extensively on this. His focus is on the man and how he approach the strategy of war. This is the books true insight and valued analysis. The distillation comes in the final chapter while the blocks of the arguments set out in this section were spread throughout the book. There is a slight short coming in this style as the detail behind these points are buried in with the rest of the text. Had seeds of the argument been planted in the text, for me it would be more memorable and a tighter woven narrative.

The Narrator is good until he does his Hannibal voice which just is a strange accent.

Informative and interesting

What did you like best about Hannibal? What did you like least?

I didn't know what Hannibal had achieved. Very slow to get started

Would you recommend Hannibal to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes if they enjoy hearing about history

Would you listen to another book narrated by Charlton Griffin?

Yes

Could you see Hannibal being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes Hugh Jackman

an epic story in valuable life lessons

the narrator takes you into the mind of Hannibal and goes over the political situation of the of the time and the strategies Hannibal's used to defeat the Romans in many battles. he also discusses Hannibal's tactics for a allying the different nations together to work for one aim, Conquering the Romans. the addition of sound effects and the awesome narrator made this book an immersive experience I listened to this book at work in 2 days. Hannibal was probably one of the greatest Commandment that ever lived. another interesting side note are the many nations in Africa that I didn't realize where African.

Fascinating story... but I needed a map.

First off, let me say that I found this to be an excellent book and a fascinating story that was well read. It definitely piqued my interest in the ancient history of the Mediterranean area.

One comment I will make is that if, like me, you are not up to speed on your ancient history and map of the world, you may need to do a Google search on the Punic Wars and the area maps to get the most out of the book.

Fortunately, there a several web-sites with the above information. Once I had a map of the area in my mind so that I could better follow Hannibal's journey, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

1 of 10 Best Books on Audible!

If you are a history buff like I am you will find this book spectacularly refreshing. Written and read in a transformingly realistic tone, you can almost envision yourself climbing the Alps with the feared general as he campaigns against Rome! It is a must read for lovers of Ancient History.

Great Story About Hannibal

This story is one I did not know well at all. I am glad to have read this excellent account. I knew that Hannibal had done amazing things, but it shocked me how thoroughly his rag-tag army of mixed origins dominated the Roman armies for so long on the soil of Italy. This is a great book if you have any interest in Classical History. My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that the audible vesion lacks maps which would have helped.

"HARD" HISTORY WELL PRESENTED

What did you love best about Hannibal?

Hannibal was a black man who showed that he was an outstanding and brilliant military leader.

Who was your favorite character and why?

HANNIBAL, of course! You gotta love him for his unprecedented use of elephants as war animals.

Which character – as performed by Charlton Griffin – was your favorite?

#the sound of crickets chirping....DUH! What part of the name HANNIBAL is no one getting here? HE was the man! And Charlton Griffin's mellifluous commanding voice just made the whole audio performance into a great almost theatrical experience. I love his use of reverb on certain vocal passages.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Most definitely!