Author:Nigel Bagnall
The Punic Wars (264-146BC) sprang from a mighty power struggle between two ancient civilisations - the trading empire of Carthage and the military confedoration of Rome. It was a period of astonishing human misfortune, lasting over a period of 118 years and resulting in the radical depletion of Rome's population and resources and the complete annihilation of Carthage.
All this took place more than 2,000 years ago, yet, as Nigel Bagnall's comprehensive history demonstrates, the ancient conflict is remarkable for its contemporary revelance.
A serious and well-informed book on the wars between Rome and Carthage...it is, however, not simply a piece of disinterested research but a tale with a moral for current politics...On the interplay of strategic and operational decisions, on the risks of politics in time of war, on the importance of morale: this book gives much food for reflection
—— SpectatorHis book is to be commended...It is a fine piece of military and political history...a clear and convincing account of what happened, devoid of any high-flown romanticism...He constructs his analysis in such a way as to demonstrate that what happened...might just happen again
—— EconomistA modern Field-Marshal applies his strategic expertise to the greatest confrontation of classical times... Bagnall's analysis is leavened with character sketches and dry humour
—— IndependentA compelling account...Vivid, poignant and authoritative
—— The HeraldThis is a very good book. Like virtually all good books about the American Indian, it tells a tragic story, but unlike many of them, it tells it well. The author has mastered an extensive and complex subject: he is flexible, well-organized, and sensitive
—— Larry McMurtryThis is history with a capital H... Read this book
—— The TimesThubron makes his way with an appealing blend of self-doubt and erudition; he is willing, he is patient,; he knows he cannot resolve but he can attempt to decipher.... He is the reliable storyteller we needed in place of Marco Polo. His stock in trade makes him invaluable to us
—— Independent on SundayHaunting, elegiac, melancholy, magical
—— Financial TimesAn exquisitely written work of great profundity
—— HeraldShadow of the Silk Road is an astonishing achievement - both the journey and the book. Mr Thubron's tenacity, endurance, stamina and erudition metamorphose into exquisite prose. This is harder to achieve than one might think and can only be the result of huge effort and skill
—— EconomistTo those of us addicted to the thrill of travel, that unique and irresistible rush induced by journeying into the unknown, Colin Thubron is God....his socio-political savvy is impeccable, his local knowledge faultless...What a journey, what a book
—— Jeffrey Taylor , Sunday ExpressImpresses with its scholarship and literary craft
—— ObserverTruly, he has written London’s biography. I began rereading it as soon as I finished, and I urge you to read it as soon as possible, so that you can begin rereading it as well
—— Will Self , New StatesmanA fat and filling feast: pretty much everything of interest about the capital is crammed into the eight-hundred pages. One cannot but marvel at Ackroyd’s erudition, his energy in marshalling minutiae, his ear for quotation, his flair for dazzling juxtapositions, his vibrant imagination and sheer exuberance
—— The TimesAn erudite labour of love, a fan-letter to a fabulous city, and a book one suspects Ackroyd was destined to write. It illuminates the English character, and is darkly humorous in its detail, tumbling through centuries crowded with legendary events and eccentric observations, as exuberant, energetic and alarming as the city itself
—— Independent on SundayA masterpiece
—— Evening StandardSpellbinding
—— Express on SundayA sharp, beautifully written but above all truthful account of London…This is the kind of writing that gives intellectuals a good name
—— Sunday Tribune