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

What a Good book!!!

This book was excellent!!! This Author has done it yet again. I also like the narration of this book,It seems asthough the book came alive!!! THis Is A Must Read!!!!Or Should I say A Must Listen!!!!!!!

Outstanding!

This historical account of the legendary Hannibal is top notch.
The writing is great as is this audio presentation. It easily ranks
among my favorite. The story is exciting and highly captivating;
you get a real feel for who Hannibal was and what he did, despite
the often limited information available on the man for many
periods of his life.

A Florid Tale

What made the experience of listening to Hannibal the most enjoyable?

Hannibal's qualities as a leader are clearly shown.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hannibal?

The sad ending of his life after all that he had achieved

What didn’t you like about Charlton Griffin’s performance?

Inanely pompous. So pretentious as to sound like a new language. For example, his pronounciation of the word officer as OH--fizzer throughout the entire book. I often found myself wondering what various words meant until i realized that they were everyday English words spoken through a pompous mouthful of marbles.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At best a reasonable if familiar tale. At worst, the author frequently lapses into pseudo biblical prose for example, armies are 'beset' not attacked. Scenes are described in florid tones that would not have been out of place in a Victorian novel.

A masterful performance and a must buy

Hannibal's story is one of perseverance, cunning and courage in the face of impossible odds. From a historical standpoint, the forces of Carthage could not be more different form that of Rome. Where as the Italian superpower had homogenized legions of professional soldiers bound together by iron discipline and a common nationality, Hannibal essentially fielded and army of mercenaries. The fact that he could keep such a force loyal to his cause for nearly a generation without revolt, is staggering. The fact that he kept them from deserting even after some crushing defeats, is almost super human. It speaks volumes about the man's charisma and his undoubtedly powerful personality. Personally, I couldn't help but cheer for this African mastermind, in spite of knowing well enough that his cause was ultimately doomed to failure. Even his death was a final act of defiance. A fitting end to a man that refused to accept defeat.

The author's work is thoroughly researched and well written. Where gaps exist, Harold Lamb has done his best to come up with "most likely" scenarios. This is of course something that historians have done since forever. The one problem I had (and this is in spite of being a bit of a history nut) is not knowing what the map of the ancient world around the Punic wars looked like. When you consider the fact that many of the "nations" mentioned in the book no longer exist, it is all too easy to get confused as to which army arrived from where. As such, a pdf companion of some sort would have been welcome. As it stands, frequent trips to Wikipedia were a must for me.

The icing on the cake however, is Charlton Griffin's masterful performance in narrating the book. It is quite frankly, perfect. I almost wish he narrated every audiobook in my library. Yes, he's that good.

If you are history nut/dilettante and (like me) have a soft spot for the Roman era, you owe it to yourself to enjoy this one.

Narration

The narration was just a little to fast. Especially when he’s going over Greek names, proper names, regions and things like that. I’m trying to focus on the regions like the relation of Spain to Africa , Sicily and her cities with Italy, and so forth. Probably just my thinking ability. But, I’ll listen to more of these histories he narrates, for sure.

Excellent listen

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend tis book to anyone who has an interest in this particular part of ancient history. (200 BC)

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hannibal was my favorite character because the book goes into detail about his reasoning behind the great invasion. It also shows how Rome was

What about Charlton Griffin’s performance did you like?

He did a great job changing voices and reserved a deeper voice for Hannibal. His performance was outstanding.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The part when Hannibal and his army was crossing the Alps. The sacrifice his men had to endure to survive this march is remarkable.

Any additional comments?

If you are interested in the days of the Roman Republic (200 BC) and want to listen to a very thorough review of Hannibal and the invasion of Italy this is the book for you. I can not rate this book high enough and will in a few weeks listen to it again.

Riveting!

I didn’t realize just how great a figure Hannibal was and what he accomplished. This book brought him to life!

Self aggrandizing tones with few facts and much speculation

Self aggrandizing tones with few facts and much speculation. It is difficult to get a note of sense through the overwhelming pompous tone of the narrator.

Too much detail!

too much detail! Not enough sorry line! It goes on and on with description, but doesn't develops a plot.

Too slow.. careful of this one

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

It needed a better pace. It also needed a clear story line. The reader was good but just not good enough to give it life.