I
wish that Livy did not give away the results of battles 10 pages before he discribed the battles and
I wish there was a better glossary. Despite these drawbacks, I was six ways to entralled while
reading the book.

Livy is writing about a past era
and the debate still rages over whether he used first or second hand testimony to the events he
describes. Several times throughout the series he makes statements such as "this cannot be in doubt
because XXXX was there and said that..." The background to war is here, the personalities are
present, the reasons for the decisions on each side are here. Descriptions of the battlefield, the
evnironment and the fighting seem almost surreal. Livy, unlike many modern historians, is not
ideological and thus does not "interpret" events to conform with his personal views. He reports the
facts within the context of his magnum opus.

The amazing crossing of the
Swiss Alps by Hannibal's army (which included a number of battle elephants!) is about all that most
people think of when they hear his name. Either that, or Anthony Hopkins. Yes, the crossing was
miraculous: no convenient tunnels in those days, no romantic roads winding between meadows full of
Alpine flowers, and no ski-lifts either. A significant proportion of his army was lost, to the
cold, inevitable accidents, and incessant raids by grumpy locals. But his army remained intact
enough for Hannibal's purposes: destroy Rome, conquer its territories, kill the men, sell the women
and children into slavery, and haul its renown treasures back to Carthage.

His ambition was
exceeded only by his imagination.

As Mr Livy makes very clear, the crossing of the Alps was yet
another coup in Hannibal's long string of magnificent successes: the capture of the Spain
peninsular; the crossing of the Alps into Italy; the total destruction of a mighty Roman army at
Cannae (Just round the corner from Rome. Gulp!); countless other victories. For year after year,
Hannibal wandered with impunity across the Italian peninsular causing havoc: laying siege to wealthy
cities; ravaging the countryside to feed his huge and hungry army.

Hannibal was simply unbeatable
in the field, and the Romans knew it.

But the Romans had other weapons, which Mr Livy takes great
patriotic delight in showing off to great effect: it had a population large enough to keep producing
army after army, even as Hannibal slaughtered them; it had a strong and effective government,
unwilling to give up its republican ideals, no matter how closely the Carthaginian army camped by
its city gates; it had talented generals who time and again diverted Hannibal from his main purpose;
and most of all, it had the bravery, discipline and organisation for which Rome was, is, and will
continue to be, famed. Yes, time would tell which of these two powerful cities would dominate the
world for the next seven hundred years.

So why didn't Hannibal destroy Rome? How and where was he
finally beaten? What happened to Carthage?

Read the book!