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Pride of Carthage

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About this listen

This epic retelling of the legendary Carthaginian military leader's assault on the Roman empire begins in Ancient Spain, where Hannibal Barca sets out with tens of thousands of soldiers and 30 elephants. After conquering the Roman city of Saguntum, Hannibal wages his campaign through the outposts of the empire, shrewdly befriending peoples disillusioned by Rome and, with dazzling tactics, outwitting the opponents who believe the land route he has chosen is impossible. Yet Hannibal's armies must take brutal losses as they pass through the Pyrenees mountains, forge the Rhone river, and make a winter crossing of the Alps before descending to the great tests at Cannae and Rome itself. David Anthony Durham draws a brilliant and complex Hannibal out of the scant historical record' - sharp, sure-footed, as nimble among rivals as on the battlefield, yet one who misses his family and longs to see his son grow to manhood. Whether portraying the deliberations of a general or the calculations of a common soldier, vast multilayered scenes of battle or moments of introspection when loss seems imminent, Durham brings history alive.

©2005 David Anthony Durham (P)2012 David Anthony Durham Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military Rome War Solider

Critic reviews

"David Anthony Durham knocked me out with Pride of Carthage. He brought Hannibal, his brothers, and the Second Punic War to vivid, bloody life, and established himself as one of the bright new lights of historical fiction. He's doing great work in science fiction as well, as the Campbell Award voters attested when they elected him the best new writer in the field. His epic fantasies make him a triple threat. No matter the genre, David Anthony Durham has serious chops. I can't wait to read whatever he writes next..." (George R. R. Martin)
"Durham's epic is truly a big, magnificent, sprawlingstory complete with a sizable cast of compelling characters, intricately drawn battle scenes, and fluid, graceful prose." ( Booklist)
"An epic tale well told, this will be easily understoodeven by those with limited knowledge of the period and may conjure thoughts of Robert E. Lee's battles against the Union in the Civil War. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)
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Most relevant
I love books set during the days of the Roman Republic - and I don't think there's ever been a novel that presented the perspectives of Hannibal AND of all his siblings. In addition, Mr Durham writes from the perspective of Publius Cornelius Scipio, two of Hannibal's men - and a camp follower.

But the different points of view were often weird and, to be honest, yucky. If you want to know more about ancient pubic lice (yep!), this might be the book for you.

(The yuckiness is not helped by the American narrator, who hams it up tremendously, lingering lovingly on every four-letter word in the text.)

Better in the Idea than in the Execution

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Any additional comments?

Hannibal has to be one of the great military leader's of all time and this is an very good retelling of his campaign in Iberia and Italy. The style of language used brings a classical feel to the tale, and the battle scenes are well presented and show the brilliance of the man. Overall, I found this book very enjoyable and would certainly recommend it.

Pride of Carthage

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The narrator's literary foibles and pronunciations were increasingly distracting and annoying to the extent that the audio book was closed on several occasions.

The historical and personal detail.

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