Hannibal Crosses The Alps: The Invasion Of Italy And The Punic Wars
By (Author) John Prevas
Hachette Books
Da Capo Press Inc
17th September 2001
United States
General
Non Fiction
937.04092
Paperback
256
Width 229mm, Height 153mm, Spine 14mm
366g
First time in paperback: A lively reconstruction of one of the most daring maneuvers in military history.. When he left his Spanish base one spring day in 218 B.C. with his 100,000-man army of mercenaries, officers, and elephants, Hannibal was launching not just the main offensive of the Second Punic War but also one of the great military journeys in ancient history. His masterful advance through rough terrain and fierce Celtic tribes proved his worth as a leader, but it was his extraordinary passage through the Alpsstill considered treacherous even by modern climbersthat made him a legend. John Prevas combines rigorous research of ancient sources with his own excursions through the icy peaks to bring to life this awesome trek, solving the centuries-old question of Hannibal's exact route and shedding fresh light on the cultures of Rome and Carthage along the way. Here is the finest kind of history, sure to appeal to readers of Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire: alive with grand strategy, the clash of empires, fabulous courage, and the towering figure of Hannibal Barca.
John Prevas, writer and adventurer, holds degrees in history, political science, psychology, and forensics and has taught the classics for the last fifteen years. He is the author of Hannibal Crosses the Alps and Xenophon's March. He lives in Florida.