Hannibal: The Military Genius Who Almost Conquered Rome

By: Eve MacDonald, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Eve MacDonald

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Hannibal Barca is famous for marching an eclectic mix of troops across the Alps and into the Roman heartland during the Second Punic War. But how much do we know about the world Hannibal was born into and came of age in? About his family and their ties to the powerful port city of Carthage? About the Roman reaction to Hannibal’s wreckage and their approach to the war in general? About the Italian cities Hannibal either devastated or courted; the diverse and impressive army he built; the powerful Roman generals he confronted, bested, and often killed; and the obstacles he and his army endured the closer they came to Rome? And how much do we actually know about the real Hannibal—not the myth, but the nuanced and fallible man who lost brothers in battle, failed to succeed in a war he fought so hard to win, and died by suicide in exile—who remained a military legend.

In Hannibal: The Military Genius Who Almost Conquered Rome, get to know one of history’s most impressive generals from the political and military conflicts that defined his adolescence to the battles that made him famous. These 15 lectures will paint a portrait of not only Hannibal, but also his enemies and allies. Explore their world from the port city of Carthage and its sphere of influence to Rome and the terrains that Hannibal’s army crossed and sometimes occupied, en route on their mission of conquest. Learn about Hannibal’s family, follow his father Hamilcar on early military expeditions into Hispania and follow his brothers into battles during the Second Punic War. Accompany Carthaginian soldiers on their difficult journey across the Italian Alps, courting or confronting Roman-allied cities. Reconstruct key battles between Hannibal and a series of Roman generals, evaluating each side’s strengths, weaknesses, and strategy. And understand why Hannibal—an extremely successful general who terrified his rivals and impressed his contemporaries—ultimately lost his fight against Rome.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2023 The Great Courses

Entertaining and informative

Hannibal has always been one of my favorite historical figures and this course did nothing to dispel that. As I listened I couldn’t help wondering why there hasn’t been series or film trilogy about Hannibal given how repetitive and uncreative Hollywood has become. It’s an amazing story about a truly amazing man.

Great Listen. Now I want to learn more.

The lecturer presents a comprehensive overview of the Second Punic War and the world of the Mediterranean at that time. After a brief overview of the First Punic War and the status of Carthage and Rome, she provides a detailed account of the war and Hannibal's genius. The war is described primarily from the viewpoint of Hannibal and the Carthaginians and allies that fought alongside him. This is impressive considering all of the sources were written by the winner of this war (spoiler alert: it was Rome).
A secondary, but important quality for an audio presentation like this is that Dr. MacDonald has a nice voice to listen to, which makes the course more enjoyable.
The information conveyed in this course, pacing of the material, and the presentation are all 5 star.

bad recording audio. too many breaks and crackles,

I couldn't focus on the lectures. shame because it seemed interesting and well put together

High school level, not college

Very shallow rendition of the story . If you want to acquire a college-level of knowledge about this era and place, look elswhere.

Hard to understand

Being the outhit the narrator , it is hard for not native speakers to understand , I wanted to return this title but I did not have the option