The Punic Wars 264-146 BC, Ess16

Discover the Punic Wars 264-146 BC, Ess16

The Punic Wars 264 - 146 BC
(Essential Stories 16)

Author: Nigel Bagnall

Paperback; February 2002; 96 pages

About this book:
The three Punic Wars lasted more than 100 years, between 264 BC and 146 BC. They represented a struggle for supremacy in the Mediterranean between the powerful land power of Rome, bent on imperial conquest, and the great maritime power of Carthage, with its colonies and trading posts spread across the Mediterranean. This book reveals how the dramas and tragedies of the Punic Wars exemplify many political and military lessons that are as relevant today as when Hannibal and Scipio Africanus fought to determine the course of Mediterranean history.

The author:

Nigel Bagnall was born in India in 1927, the son and grandson of army officers. He was educated at Wellington College and joined the Army in January 1946. Commissioned a year later, he saw service in Palestine, Malaysia, the Canal Zone, Cyprus, Borneo, Singapore, and Germany. He was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine and ended his career as Chief of the General Staff. He was a Fellow of the Defence at Balliol College, Oxford, and is now an Honorary Fellow. His previous book on the Punic Wars has been published in both English and German.

Content:
# Introduction
# Chronology
# Background to the war: two great Mediterranean powers
# Warring parties: Carthaginian and Roman forces on land and sea
# Outbreak: Collapse of the third friendship treaty
# The battles: the three Punic Wars
# Portrait of a Soldier: Hannibal Barcis and Scipio Africanus
# The world around war: the political, social and economic impact
# Portrait of a civilian: Carthaginian trade; a Roman senator
# Conclusion and consequences: expansionism and readiness for war
# Glossary of names
# Further reading
# Index