Pride of Carthage - Softcover

"Durham vividly captures the frenzy of ancient warfare. . . . A skillfully structured, gripping novel -New York Times"Masterly. . . . First-rate historical fiction. Durham has delivered some of the best battle scenes on the page since Michael Shaara's Civil War fiction." -San Francisco Chronicle"Stunning. . . . A brilliant exploration of the tension between private destiny and historical force." --The Christian Science Monitor"Fascinating. . . . Nimbly exploits what is known about this distant period. . . . The author has speculated and invented optimally." --The Washington Post"An extraordinary achievement: Durham puts flesh on the bones of Carthage in a way that no novelist has done since Flaubert wrote Salammbo."--Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic"Pride of Carthage is that rare and wonderful thing: an historical novel that's not only deeply evocative of time and place, character and situation, but is also lyrically written, compellingly composed. I savored each page while ever more breathless as the story unfolded. Durham has broken the mold of historical fiction and created a masterpiece."--Jeffrey Lent, author of In the Fall and Lost Nation"Durham leaps continents and centuries to tell the epic story of Hannibal and his march on Rome in this heady, richly textured novel. . . . The novel's grand sweep is balanced by intimate portraits of Hannibal, his family, his allies and his enemies. . . . Durham weaves abundant psychological, military, and political detail into this vivid account of one of the most romanticized periods of history."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Durham has reimagined this vanished world in stunningly precise detail, and his lucid explanations of the give-and-take of military decision-making help the reader through some dauntingly complicated material. Nor is this novel merely a pageant: the author vividly portrays both Hannibal's driven resolve and Scipio's ruthless efficiency, as well as the conflicted emotions that rule several powerfully realized secondary figures. . . . One of the best of the current crop of historical novels, and a career-making march forward for Durham."--Kirkus Reviews

Set against the backdrop of the ancient Punic Wars, the epic saga of the legendary Cathaginian general describes Hannibal's struggle against the powerful Roman Republic, his decision to attack Rome via a land route deemed impossible, his battle exploits, and the young Roman military leader, Publius Scipio Africanus, who ultimately defeated him. Reader's Guide available. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.