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Books
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History and biography
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Cannae: The experience of battle in the Second Punic War by Gregory Daly (Routledge, 2003)
In 216 BC, the forces of Hannibal faced the Roman army at Cannae. Massively outnumbered, the Carthaginians won an astonishing victory. Daly considers the reasons that led the two armies to the field of battle, and why each followed the course they did. He explores in detail the composition of the armies, and the tactics and leadership methods of the opposing generals. Finally, by focusing on the experiences of those who fought, he gives a portrait of the horror and chaos of ancient warfare.
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Carthage by Serge Lancel (Blackwell, 1997). Out of print; may available from libraries or second-hand bookshops.
Illustrated with maps and photographs, this book describes the history of the ancient North African capital of one of the world’s most impressive empires, from its foundation by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC to its destruction by the Romans. There is also information on the Punic culture that still remains and of new archaeological findings.
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Excavations at Carthage: The British mission (vols 1 and 2), edited by Henry Hurst (Oxford University Press, 1995)
These two books contain the findings of the excavation of the famous Circular (or Naval) Harbour of Carthage, including the dry docks of the Carthaginian navy and the probable remains of a Roman imperial cloth works. There are also reports on pottery ranging from the late Punic to the late Byzantine period.
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Hannibal by Ernle Bradford (Wordsworth, 2000)
A biography of the general who destroyed Roman armies with an almost contemptuous ease. Bradford depicts Hannibal as the soldier, the general, the statesman and the private man.
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Hannibal: Enemy of Rome by Leonard Cottrell (Da Capo Press, 1992)
Blending biography and military adventure, this is a portrait of a military genius. The son of a famous general in his own right, Hannibal was a student of the Greek classics and a highly civilised man but his father’s lifelong grudge against Rome fostered in the son a deep hatred for that Republic and a fierce determination to subdue it.
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Hannibal: A history of the art of war among the Carthaginians and Romans by Theodore Ayrault Dodge (Perseus Books, 1995)
First published in 1891, this is a classic history of Hannibal and his military exploits. It follows Hannibal's route over the Alps, from Carthage to Italy, and its examination of military relations between Carthage and Rome throughout the history of the Punic Wars provides a thorough background to Hannibal's art of war.
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Hannibal Crosses the Alps: The invasion of Italy and the Second Punic War by John Prevas (Da Capo Press, 2001)
Hannibal’s advance on Rome through rough terrain and fierce Celtic tribes made him a legend. The author combines rigorous research with his own excursions through the Alps to bring to life this awesome trek, shedding fresh light on the culture of Rome and Carthage along the way.
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The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265-146 BC by Adrian Goldsworthy (Cassell Military, 2003)
The struggle between Rome and Carthage in the Punic Wars was, argues Goldsworthy, the greatest and most desperate conflict of antiquity. The forces involved and the casualties suffered by both sides were far greater than in any wars fought before the modern era. The eventual outcome had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Western world – namely, the ascendancy of Rome.
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The Punic Wars: Rome, Carthage and the struggle for the Mediterranean by Nigel Bagnall (Pimlico, 1999)
The Punic Wars (264-146 BC) were the result of a mighty power struggle between two ancient civilisations: the trading empire of Carthage and the military confederation of Rome. Although the wars took place more than 2,000 years ago, Bagnall argues that they have a remarkable contemporary significance.
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Scipio Africanus: Greater than Napoleon by Basil Liddell Hart (Da Capo Press, 1994)
Scipio Africanus was one of the most exciting and dynamic leaders in history, yet only his adversary Hannibal has lived on in the public memory. Scipio clashed with Hannibal himself, annihilating his army in the decisive battle of Zama. For this triumph and his other exploits in the Punic Wars, he was awarded the title Africanus. This is a fascinating portrait of an extraordinary commander.
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Ancient texts
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The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by W F Jackson Knight (Penguin, 1969)
Virgil (70-19 BC) describes the legendary origin of the Roman nation. He tells of the Trojan prince Aeneas, who escaped with some followers after Troy fell and sailed to Italy, where they settled and laid the foundations of Roman power. It includes the Roman mythical version of Carthage's foundation.
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The Rise of the Roman Empire by Polybius, edited by F W Walbank, translated by Ian Scott-Kilvert (Penguin, 1979)
The Greek statesman Polybius set out to help his fellow-countrymen understand how their world had come to be dominated by Rome. Opening with the Punic War in 264 BC, he records the critical stages of Roman expansion – its campaigns throughout the Mediterranean, the temporary setbacks inflicted by Hannibal and the final destruction of Carthage in 146 BC. Polybius was able to draw on a range of eyewitness accounts, alongside his own experiences of many of the central events, giving his work immediacy and authority.
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The War with Hannibal by Livy, translated by Aubrey de Selincourt and B Radice (Penguin, 1970)
Livy (59 BC-AD 17) chronicles the events of the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage. He vividly recreates the immense armies of Hannibal, complete with elephants, crossing the Alps; the panic as they approached the gates of Rome; and the decimation of the Roman army at the battle of Lake Trasimene. Yet it is also the clash of personalities that fascinates Livy, from great debates in the Senate to the historic meeting between Scipio and Hannibal before the decisive battle. Livy never hesitates to introduce both intense drama and moral lessons into his work, and here he brings a turbulent episode in history powerfully to life.
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Historical fiction
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Carthage by Peter Huby (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2002)
In 146 BC, the Roman army took Carthage by storm. The people of the city were massacred or enslaved and every building was razed to the ground. Set against this background, this chilling novel tells the story of seven people caught up in the cruelty and destruction.
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Hannibal by Ross Leckie (Abacus, 1996)
The first in a trilogy of novels that use the historical facts of Hannibal’s upbringing in Carthage, his hatred of the Romans and the battles he led to depict the man’s dark personality.
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Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert, translated by A J Krailsheimer (Penguin, 1977)
Immediately after the protracted and crippling First Punic War with Rome, the Carthaginian army under Hamilcar has to contend with a revolt by its unpaid mercenaries led by the Libyan Matho. The exotic and chilling Salammbo, priestess in the temple of the goddess Tanit, and her obsessive relationship with Matho, lends dramatic unity to a tale of epic grandeur in which Flaubert gave full rein to his love of the gorgeous, the voluptuous and the bizarre.
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Travel guides
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Footprint Tunisia Handbook by Justin McGuinness (Footprint Books, 2002)
This updated handbook is a comprehensive guide for all visitors. Containing background and travel information, it includes detailed coverage of Tunis and the other major cities.
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Motorcycle Journeys through the Alps and Corsica by John Hermann (Whitehorse Press, 2002)
If you fancy a motorbike rather than an elephant, this book contains 49 individual riding trips, each lasting about a day. It covers every region of the Alps, so whether you want to focus on Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy or France (or Liechtenstein, for that matter), you'll find trips that appeal to you.
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A Traveller's History of North Africa by Barnaby Rogerson (Interlink Books, 1998)
This authoritative but very readable book covers the history of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. Rogerson establishes a surprisingly clear vision of north African history from Carthage to the present, seeing this area as a kind of island, isolated by sea and desert, and thus set apart from Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
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Tunis, Kairouan and Carthage by Graham Petrie (Stacey International, 2003)
This classic travel text, written in 1908, presents an insight into life on the north African coast. It interweaves history, personal observations and anecdote and plunges the reader into the heart of old Tunisia.
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