History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Engrossing, detailed .... but not totally satisfying
Just the Facts, Please
A bird's eye view of an incredible uninterrupted history
Great Concise History of Rome
Reads like a novel

Rome: The Biography of a City
Christopher Hibbert
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140070788

Customer Reviews:

Engrossing, detailed .... but not totally satisfying.......2005-10-18

I found the book to be well written and engaging in that typical British anecdotal style that breathes life into historical characters. It offers a detailed account of the sometimes bizarre history of this magnificent city during more than two millennia, all in one book, up until the middle of the 20th century.

However, I felt that the book was quite lacking in providing answers, or even clues to answers, to the Big Questions: the rise and fall of the Republic and the later Empire, and the rise of Christianity. I did miss the context of all these facts that streamed by page after page, and there was no scholarly interpretation from the learned author regarding these inevitable Big Questions.

The latter part of the book gets even better, when the author seems more at ease dealing with the 19th and 20th century. I found the detailed portrait of the rise and fall of the fascist state headed by Mussolini especially riveting. But even there, I wanted a bit more background and historical interpretation.

If you look for a book that introduces you to more than two thousand years of Roman history, and is both educating and reads more like a novel than a thesis, you will not be disappointed. Furthermore, the book includes maps and pictures, to be used during a stay in the Eternal City. But if you want a more intellectual interpretation, there are better books on offer. I decided to buy both.

Just the Facts, Please.......2004-07-01

In Self-Reliance, Emerson says, "In history our imagination plays us false. Kingdom and lordship, power and estate are gaudier vocabulary than private John and Edward in a small house and common day's work; but the things of life are the same to both; the sum total of both is the same," (130). This is a good place to begin articulating my discomfort with Hibbert's Rome: The Biography of a City. Halfway through the book one still has not seen any of Emerson's view that history is more than a succession of popes and kings. On the contrary, Hibbert seems to think that history is only that. It is an older book, and so we spare it some of our modern politics, but thus far, I've read nothing of women, nothing even of artists or architects in a city renowned for these, only that this king fought with this pope etc. through the centuries. I thought historians somehow knew better. One possible explanation for Hibbert's lack of attention to the actual soul of Rome is that he casts a broad net, writing so many histories he can hardly have time to do anything like justice to a place. He's written about France, Britain, America, and India, about their revolutions and separate books about their major figures, lending the impression that he may approach theses "biographies" like assembly-line machinery. One last neglect which seems to me not only in bad taste, but odd: Hibbert's Rome has been pretty overt in its dismissal of the Catholic Church. Nothing has been said about its many acts of charity, nor of its social/art educational status in the community, nor about the individual faiths of the saints and pilgrims, whose devotion, in the face of such obvious abuses, I find heartening.

A bird's eye view of an incredible uninterrupted history.......2004-05-04

With a book that covers over 2,500 years of history, don't expect in-depth coverage here. That's not what this book is about. It provides a very good, bird's-eye view of the city and its history, however, and does a good job of impressing on the reader the incredible continuity of the city's history. I think there's a tendency to concentrate on ancient Rome and then to jump a thousand years to the Renaissance and the Baroque, without focusing on the incredible medieval history of the city. I found the chapters of the book devoted to the medieval period to be some of the more interesting.

Great Concise History of Rome.......2001-10-26

This is a good book for those interested in learning about general Rome History but not necessarily in reading thick textbooks. If you're interested in learning about specific periods/events (or the Roman Empire as a whole), you might want to look elsewhere. If you're interested in reading about a great city as a whole, this is a solid choice.

Reads like a novel.......2001-07-15

I planned to visit Rome and was told Mr Hibbert's book was better than any travel guide. I was worried it would be a boring, textbook read. To my surprise, I was absolutely engrossed from cover to cover. The endnotes were a bit too inclusive for my taste, but for a true historian, the information would be captivating. Mr. Hibbert's focus on numerous Vatican events is eye opening.

Hadrian and the Cities of the Roman Empire

Average customer rating:

On Tour
An excellent book to understand Roman urbanization

Hadrian and the Cities of the Roman Empire
Mary T. Boatwright
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691048894

Book Description

Cities throughout the Roman Empire flourished during the reign of Hadrian (A.D. 117-138), a phenomenon that not only strengthened and legitimized Roman dominion over its possessions but also revealed Hadrian as a masterful negotiator of power relationships. In this comprehensive investigation into the vibrant urban life that existed under Hadrian's rule, Mary T. Boatwright focuses on the emperor's direct interactions with Rome's cities, exploring the many benefactions for which he was celebrated on coins and in literary works and inscriptions. Although such evidence is often as imprecise as it is laudatory, its collective analysis, undertaken for the first time together with all other related material, reveals that over 130 cities received at least one benefaction directly from Hadrian. The benefactions, mediated by members of the empire's municipal elite, touched all aspects of urban life; they included imperial patronage of temples and hero tombs, engineering projects, promotion of athletic and cultural competitions, settlement of boundary disputes, and remission of taxes.

Even as he manifested imperial benevolence, Hadrian reaffirmed the self-sufficiency and traditions of cities from Spain to Syria, the major exception being his harsh treatment of Jerusalem, which sparked the Third Jewish Revolt. Overall, the assembled evidence points to Hadrian's recognition of imperial munificence to cities as essential to the peace and prosperity of the empire. Boatwright's treatment of Hadrian and Rome's cities is unique in that it encompasses events throughout the empire, drawing insights from archaeology and art history as well as literature, economy, and religion.

Customer Reviews:

On Tour.......2003-12-20

This is a very academic book, but readable. Hadrian spent most of his 20 or so years as emperor out and about in the provinces. Boatwright does a very good job emphasizing the importance of Hadrian's reign and the impact he had in the cities scattered around the Roman Empire. Everywhere Hadrian went he commissioned works. These were in the form of roads, basilicas, arches, forums, columns, and estates. Subsequently it seems everywhere you go to see Roman ruins to this day you see some remnants of Hadrian. Hadrian completely transformed the Roman city. Boatwright does a good job explaining this in chapters titled "Changes of City Status and Their Impact on City Life" and "City Foundations New and Renewed." She uses footnotes instead of endnotes and this book is very well documented with a terrific bibliography. Hadrian was well-liked in the provinces and all of his contributions live-on to this day. This book is not a biography of the man, but a survey of his contributions to the provinces and how he had a permanent affect on the people and places in the empire. For a good biography read Birley's Hadrian: The Restless Emperor. Boatwright's book is a good supplement to Birley's biography.

An excellent book to understand Roman urbanization.......2000-05-13

This book greatly elucidates emperor Hadrian's benefactions to the cities in the Roman Empire. Mary Boatwright has expertly researched Hadrian's paternalism towards the cities; however, she argues that Hadrian wanted the cities to remain loyal to Roman institutions. The author also recognizes the Greco-Roman syncretic cultural aspects prevalent during Hadrian's reign as emperor. Lastly, an excellent survey of Roman urbanization and cultural legacy. The maps, tables, and illustrations added to my understanding and reading enjoyment.

Average customer rating:

I thought he ate livers?
Hannibal Review eh!
The words of someone against the book of Hannibal
Hannibal: Enemy of Rome
Hannibal: Enemy of Rome

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome
Leonard Cottrell
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306804980

Customer Reviews:

I thought he ate livers?.......2005-11-11

This is a good book if you want a reader's digest of Hannibal without sacrificing any details. The book spans Hannibals entier life and talks about his family history. It is a quick and entertaining read. One of the positives of the book is that the author actually tried to travel Hannibal's route over the Alps. The author was able to throw in details that any other author would not be able to discuss about the terrain and certain land marks (even adding pictures). One of the small drawbacks is that he told information about his family trip. I think those digressions distracted from the book and I guess they were enough to make me take off an extra star. To end on a good note I would like to add that the battle scenes are very graphic. He talked about what would be going on in the soldiers mind during a massacre such as Cannae. For the most part the book jumped from battle to battle and left out some of the more `boring' topics that tend to drag a book out. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an incite to the battles of Hannibal.

Hannibal Review eh!.......2005-01-06

Hannibal Enemy of Rome is kind of a so-so book. At one perspective, it is an extremely boring book. The information is presented closely to that of a history textbook. It can be very dull and hard to get into, and it takes a while of reading it to get to the exciting things like battles. Hannibal can be a little hard for some to follow because it sort of skips around alot. It will be telling you about Hannibal's battle plans and you will be almost getting into it, and then the book will switch you to a long quote from some Roman guy that will completely destroy the intrest you just had.
On the other hand, some parts of the book are pretty good. The battles, for example, can catch your interest pretty quickly. You would be amazed at how much information this book contains on Hannibal and his strategies. You will also learn about how he used elephants in battle, which is truly amazing, though the book doesnt go into a heck of a lot of detail on them. Hannibal's journey is long and hard, with a few catching points, but overall, I would only recommend this book to someone who really wants to read about Hannibal or his journey. For someone craving action, this book isnt terrible, but you can get better.

The words of someone against the book of Hannibal.......2005-01-06

While reading this book I'm thinking, is this really necessary? We all know that Hannibal was a great guy and what he did was incredible but in this book the narrator just makes you want to never hear the word Hannibal again! Though he did put in a lot of great information and he really made it seem like you were in the battles. Everything was boring until they were in the mountains and the Gaul's started to attack that is when it really gets good. Then he would talk about some other thing or himself and it was like were did my thrilling book go? He would talk about his journey and how it related to Hannibal. Well, we really don't care about what he thought we just want to read it and try to understand all of those big words that we don't know yet. This book was definitely made for college students that majored in history, not a ninth grader. But then again there would be another battle and you could understand why he did this and what his strategy was. During this I thought that maybe there was some hope for this book, but you know us if we had a choice in reading this or another we would choose the other book.

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome.......2004-12-17

Have you ever had someone try to explain something, and you don't understand it? Well, in the book, Hannibal: Enemy of Rome, has a very similar situation. The book sort of gives you two different stories.
The author goes through the same adventure as Hannibal when he was a live. That can make the story very confusing because you have a mind set of reading about Hannibal instead of reading what the author went through. The book was very interesting when I read about what Hannibal and his men went through during the war. Also, the author uses very difficult vocabulary, and was very difficult for me because vocabulary is not my strong suit.
Over all, the book wouldn't have been that bad if the author didn't write some much about what he went through. I think that if he wrote my about Hannibal that there be more interest in the reading the book. In my opinion, Hannibal would have been an awesome book, if it followed the title.

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome.......2004-12-17

If you likes books that are packed with information about generals and battles. Then this is the book for you Hannibal Enemy of Rome is a very good book, but hard to read because of all the names and places. This book is good because of how Cottrell described the battle scenes between Hannibal and the Romans. The author really wanted to let you know how Hannibal was an excellent strategist. One of my favorite parts in the book is where the Romans are spying on Hannibal. Hannibal leaves some of his men behind to ambush the Romans. His men send cattle up the mountain with torches tied to them. The Romans follow the cattle up the mountain thinking that it is hannibal and his men. When the Romans get to the top of the mountain there are ambushed by Hannibals men. There are many more exciting parts in this book and I would recomend it to any one who wants to read a good book.

John Chrysostom and the Transformation of the City

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John Chrysostom and the Transformation of the City
Aideen Hartney
Manufacturer: Duckworth Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0715631934

Book Description

John Chrysostom was one of the most prolific and admired Christian preachers of the fourth century AD. Operating in both Antioch and Constantinople, he was constantly concerned for the spiritual welfare of his flock, especially when he saw them surrounded by the secular temptations of city life in the later Roman empire. His preaching was tailored to combat these temptations and to encourage his congregation to live more obviously orthodox lives.
Previous studies of Chrysostom have been almost entirely biographical in nature. This book conducts a much needed thematic exploration of his preaching, shedding light both on gender relations in late antiquity and also on the practical processes by which Christianity established itself as a dominant social structure in the Roman Empire.

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Details Without Exaggeration
comprehensive, intelligent and readable book
A Decent Biography of a Great Military Commander

Hannibal
Serge Lancel
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0631206310

Amazon.com

Few military leaders are remembered in history for their mistakes rather than their successes. One of the famous exceptions is George Custer, whose tactical blunder at Little Big Horn is a notable setback in America's westward expansion. Another, more ancient example is the Carthaginian leader Hannibal, who twice had it in his power to conquer the Roman empire and twice failed to act quickly enough to do so.

He would forever rue his error, writes the sympathetic French historian Serge Lancel in this thoroughly researched biography; like Napoleon, Hannibal spent his last days in island exile (in his case, on Crete), lamenting his missteps and longing for another chance to rule the world. Even so, writes Lancel, Hannibal had many accomplishments of which to be proud, notably his difficult passage of the Alps with a huge army of men, horses, and elephants, and his defeat of the Roman armies at the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C., a defeat that cost the Romans some 70,000 men. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

This is an historical biography of Hannibal, the military leader of Carthage responsible for waging a dramatic onslaught on Rome during the Punic Wars. One of the few generals of history to be famous for the war he lost, Hannibal's attack in 218 BC - which included his renowned march of elephants across the Alps - ranks amongst the most courageous and ill-fated enterprises in the history of the ancient world. It was after the defeat of Hannibal that Rome was able to assert its strength in the Mediterranean, establishing the Roman Republic as the most formidable force in Europe.The book explores Hannibal's character and career. It shows how his actions as commander of the Carthaginian army in Spain consciously precipitated the Second Punic war in which he intended to exact revenge on Rome for earlier defeats. His march across the Alps, and then his war to wrest control of Italy from Rome - a conflict lasting more than a decade - has an inevitable, tragic fascination.Until now the traditions and the reality surrounding Hannibal have only been told from the perspective of Rome. Here, Professor Lancel brings his unrivalled understanding of the Carthaginian world to explain the complexities of Hannibal's character and the internal dynamics of the period in which he lived. This definitive biography of one of the most fascinating figures of ancient history offers a fresh perspective on the demise of the Hellenistic world and the rise of Rome.

Customer Reviews:

Details Without Exaggeration.......2000-11-23

I found this book a very concise and scholarly work on the life and battles of the great general Hannibal. Though no new ground is covered in this treatise, it is very well written and translated and would be an excellent read before embarking on a report or essay on the battle of Rome.

Understandable and enlightening, this book covers the life of the general as well as most other books currently in print though not as well as some that are difficult to find today. Without question factual, this book was meticulously researched and verified. Still, since we have little evidence from a historical standpoint other than what has alrady been offered, there is nothing new to glean from the pages of this book.

One of the best attibutes of this book is the lack of embellishment or dramatic affectation of the battles Hannibal fought. The facts are credible and thoroughly investigated.

Because of the interesting pitch and composition of the writing, this would be an ideal book for teachers to require students from high school onwards to read. It is compelling enough to hold their interest and edcuational enough to impart some knowledge of the antiquities.

comprehensive, intelligent and readable book.......2000-07-19

The trouble with all books about Hannibal is that they all tend to read rather much the same, which simply reflects the fact that virtually all our information of him derives from only two written sources (Polybius, who was semi-contemporaneous, and Livy), so biographically it's kinda difficult for any author of a Hannibal book to get any new angle or info on him. Thanks to the Romans' thorough destruction job on old Carthage, there is minimal archeological or other primary documentary evidence to add to our knowledge of him, so unless someday something turns up somewhere else (bearing in mind he actually spent more of his life away from Carthage)...

What therefore helps to make this book stand out from others, is that the author is a respected academic and authority on the subject (he has excavated Carthage - see his other book) who clearly knows his stuff.

His comments and discussion are balanced and intelligent, and being a fairly recent book is able to take account of modern views and research. What is also good is that he avoids sacrificing the book's readability with being overly detailed on every aspect, but yet caters for those looking for more detail in places with specific literature references in his narrative. In my judgment the information contained is very thorough and sufficiently detailed, for most readers, without being overwhelming.

I should think this book is probably as good as any other book on Hannibal currently in print (if not one of the better ones).

However, in my opinion the best book is the now out-of-print "Hannibal: The Struggle for Power in the Mediterranean" by Gavin De Beer, which is comprehensive, highly readable and (best of all) is lavishly illustrated with color plates and photographs on nearly every page; - something which alas is lacking in most other books including this one, which only contains twelve simple diagrams/maps, not counting the front cover picture.

In summary, though, this is a scholarly yet very readable account of Hannibal which pretty much tells you all there is we have available to know about this awesome guy.

A Decent Biography of a Great Military Commander.......1998-12-27

This was an interesting account of Hannibal provided by this French author, who is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Grenoble. He utilises most contempary and some modern accounts of Hannibal and his campaigns and also offers his views on those accounts to assist the reader in judging the accuracy of the text.

At times I found the narrative to become a bit muddled and somewhat dry but overall he offers a decent biography of this Great Commander. I would have appreciated a more in-depth account of his battles but the author does provide details of every facet of Hannibals campaigns including the political background at the time.

For those looking for a more detailed military history of Hannibal and his role in the Punic Wars I would recommend Nigel Bagnall's 'The Punic Wars'. For a view from "the other side" I would recommend 'Scipio Africanus, Greater than Napoleon' by Liddell Hart.

Book Description

Hannibal forged a career of daring exploits and stunning victories that came perilously close to annihilating Rome.

Customer Reviews:

Serviceable Introduction to Hannibal and his Campaigns.......2000-01-11

In the realm of popular history, which should aim to educate while telling an entertaining story, this book outclasses its current competition in the price range.

Baker betrays the 1929 origin of this book in his windy and rather platitudinous political analogies to then-current political science. At times his generalities about Hannibal's (contrasted to Rome's) political philosophy and psychology are confusingly vague. However, he does provide a solid account of the likely cause and course of this almost legendary war-leader's doomed struggle to break Rome's challenge to Carthaginian supremacy in maritime trade.

The descriptions of strategies, battles, outcomes and options are well done. Baker's numerous biographies of ancient emperors and empires usually gave an informed critique of military probabilities.

I prefer this book to that of Leonard Cottrell, its closest competitor. Cottrell is rather disjointed and discursive, trying to blend travelogue with history. Baker sticks to the chronological narrative and is easy to follow, thanks to the now outmoded (but useful) technique of providing topical sub-headings in the margins of each page.

If you are looking for a strictly military account, then try John Lazenby's _Hannibal's War_, now available in a paperback version. If you want a reliable introduction to Hannibal providing good background as well as a review of the military action and diplomatic effects, then Baker is a cut above the others.

He provides sufficient footnotes to elucidate issues where Baker quibbles with his ancient sources, Polybius and Livy or where the two sources can't be reconciled. He shows that he is conversant with the scholarship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In a work of popular history, the lack of access to scholarly debate since 1929 is not too troubling.

Baker, for example provides and interesting discussion on the way in which Rome most likely managed to build up a fleet to challenge Carthage in short order.

Book Description

John Peddie provides a re-evaluation of the Carthaginian's generalship, and asks how a man could have plunged so deeply into a situation in which he was almost inevitably, to fail? He examines Hannibal's historic march on Rome.

Customer Reviews:

Hannibal's War.......2001-03-16

John Peddie's, Hannibal's War is an interesting look at Hannibal's campaign against Rome. Peddie follows Hannibal chronologically through Spain, Cisalpine Gaul, and down to the foot of Italy.

Peddie comments on the much debated route that Hannibal took across the Alps. He comments on Hannibal's use of elephants. He also re-evaluates each battle and suggests other possible moves Hannibal might have taken to ensure victory. He suggests that after Hannibal's great victory at Cannae, that Hannibal should have proceded onto take Rome. Peddie also adds that Polybius also feels that he should have kept his momentum going after Cannae.

Peddie mostly uses Polybius and Livy as primary sources and quotes them often. Peddie maintains that Hannibal's ultimate goal was not to take Rome, but to take Sicily back for Carthage.

Peddie feels that this was Hannibal's purpose the whole time. He states that Carthage was simply trying to establish itself as an empire again, after losing territory in the 1st Punic War. However, Peddie doesn't really back-up his theory stringently. If that was Hannibal's goal, why didn't he goal straight to Sicily after taking Sarguntum (an important port in Spain)? Why bother with crossing the alps and treking all the way down the Italian Pennisula, if all he wanted was Sicily?

Book Description

Oxford Scholarly Classics is a new series that makes available again great academic works from the archives of Oxford University Press. Reissued in uniform series design, the reissues will enable libraries, scholars, and students to gain fresh access to some of the finest scholarship of the
last century.

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