The Punic wars cover

The Punic wars

by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy

"In this book, Adrian Goldsworthy chronicles the wars that shaped the Western World. Each of the wars are described in detail: the long stalemate over Sicily in the First Punic War (264-241BC), the titanic struggle which saw Hannibal beaten back from the very edge of victory in the Second Punic War (218-202BC), and the final carnage of the Third Punic War (149-146BC) which ended in the destruction of Carthage. The political background to the conflict as a whole, the grand strategies of the generals and the brutal realities of close-contact fighting on the ground and at sea are all clearly described. The great pitched battles are covered in especial detail, notably Hannibal's 'perfect' victory at Cannae in 216 which has remained an inspiration for commanders across the world ever since."--Jacket.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?