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Hannibal Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ernle Bradford (Author), Peter Jones (Narrator), Recorded Books (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 441 ratings
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At the bloody battle of Cannae, he trounced a Roman army twice the size of his own. With his brothers, he subdued nearly all of Italy, Spain, and Northern Africa. A cunning tactician, he secured victory for Bithynia at sea by catapulting poisonous snakes onto the decks of his enemy’s ships. Biographer Ernle Bradford draws on the historical writings of Livy, Polybius, Plutarch and others in re-creating the fantastic story of the greatest general since Alexander the Great.

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  1. Part of series
    Wordsworth Military Library
  2. Listening Length
    9 hours and 47 minutes
  3. Author
    Ernle Bradford
  4. Narrator
    Peter Jones
  5. Audible release date
    November 29, 2011
  6. Language
    English
  7. Publisher
    Recorded Books
  8. ASIN
    B006G2UIJY
  9. Version
    Unabridged
  10. Program Type
    Audiobook
  11. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 47 minutes
Author Ernle Bradford
Narrator Peter Jones
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date November 29, 2011
Publisher Recorded Books
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B006G2UIJY
Best Sellers Rank #87,520 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#330 in Ancient History (Audible Books & Originals)
#1,576 in Military History (Audible Books & Originals)
#1,814 in Ancient Civilizations

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
441 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an interesting account of the life and exploits of a warrior. They describe it as a wonderful, well-researched read that is vividly written and comprehensible. The author captures the life and personality of the general vividly with anecdotes about his life and reports. However, some readers feel the book could benefit from maps or diagrams.

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HistoryEnjoymentReadablePersonalityMap content
16 customers mention "History"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and thorough. They describe it as an insightful account of a warrior's life and exploits. The author provides vivid descriptions of events, including human interest material for those not deeply interested in history. Overall, readers recommend it to history lovers.

"...He includes a sufficient amount of human interest material to keep those not deeply interested in military history, the founding of empires and..." Read more

"...This account is riveting. I applauded the authors detail and sense of the man. I enjoyed the journey immensely." Read more

"...the description of the events were compelling & descriptive to create a picture of events. Hannibal was a "Stud" no doubt." Read more

"Very thorough; an interesting account of the life and exploits of a warrior we've all heard of but probably don't know much about...." Read more

13 customers mention "Enjoyment"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it well-researched and enjoyable to read.

"...This is a wonderful book. Don’t be put-off because it doesn’t provide maps." Read more

"...Very well done." Read more

"...It was a great book on one of the most compelling war/leadership histories I've ever read." Read more

"Did not realize what Hannibal had accomplished. This is a great book to give you an overall view of what a tremendous accomplishment he achieved...." Read more

7 customers mention "Readable"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and comprehensible. They mention it's vividly written and an incredible read if you're Tiberius.

"Bradford’s biography of Hannibal Barca is a solid, relatively readable account of the man’s life, his accomplishments and contributions to military..." Read more

"...His descriptions of the battles and the tactics used is highly readable and comprehensible...." Read more

"...Easy to read and very interesting." Read more

"Nice book. Well written, based on good sources, and about one of the most exciting historical figures of all times...." Read more

3 customers mention "Personality"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's portrayal of the General's personality. They find it vividly captures the life and personality with anecdotes and reports. The author's sense of the man is appreciated.

"...He captures the life and personality of the General vividly with anecdotes about his life and reports of his recorded words...." Read more

"...This account is riveting. I applauded the authors detail and sense of the man. I enjoyed the journey immensely." Read more

"Like the book a lot. Put a personality behind the name without being pedantic." Read more

3 customers mention "Map content"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book lacks maps and diagrams. They say it would benefit from some maps or diagrams, as much of the text is described in text.

"...This is a wonderful book. Don’t be put-off because it doesn’t provide maps." Read more

"...Two criticisms. The book would benefit from some maps or diagrams because so much of the text describes little known locations...." Read more

"A solid account of an important figure; lacks maps..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Tom Wise
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible author, incredible subject
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The recurring theme in these reviews was that the author employed ancient names for the towns, landmarks and regions where the action occurred. Reading on Kindle, it’s easy to just tap an unfamiliar name and ascertain what the current name is. I prefer reading on my iPad so I can readily jump to a Google Map and have a bird’s eye view of battle sites and distances travelled. This is a wonderful book. Don’t be put-off because it doesn’t provide maps.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • TH
    4.0 out of 5 stars A solid account of an important figure; lacks maps
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Bradford’s biography of Hannibal Barca is a solid, relatively readable account of the man’s life, his accomplishments and contributions to military and other aspects of cultural history. Bradford makes good use of the classical sources as well as more recent scholarship. He includes a sufficient amount of human interest material to keep those not deeply interested in military history, the founding of empires and cultural shifts, though the prose is rather dogged. For my part, though I’ve spent time in the Mediterranean and know some of its history, inclusion of at least one, if not three or four maps at relevant locations in the text would have made the reading experience much more enjoyable. Instead, I went to Wikipedia and other sources to find those resources. Thus the four stars, which is the upper bound of my estimate of this book.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Luis A. Hernandez
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece of Biography
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Bradford's biography of the Carthaginian General who almost destroyed Rome is spot on. He captures the life and personality of the General vividly with anecdotes about his life and reports of his recorded words. His descriptions of the battles and the tactics used is highly readable and comprehensible. His obvious mastery of the literature paints his as a credible voice to be writing on the topic.

    The book begins with a short essay of admiration for the General and a description of his final hours. Then he takes us through the entire life of Hannibal, from his early years in Spain, to the many years he spent fighting in the second Punic War, to his time as a statesmen in Carthage, and finally his adventures in the East, where he could still find no respite from the Romans.

    The book is of moderate length, and is easy to read. Highly recommended.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • kevin stone
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hannibal at the gates!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    We follow the Great General across the Alps and into Italy to see his genius on the battlefield. His eclectic mixture of Gauls, Namibian and Cartheginians terrorized and defeated legion after legion. Seventeen years of war upon the Roman's gave Hannibal mastery over the Italian peninsula and showed what manner of strategic and tactical wonder his mind was. This account is riveting. I applauded the authors detail and sense of the man. I enjoyed the journey immensely.
    One person found this helpful
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  • hopeinKS
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Being unfamiliar with European geography it took looking at a map to determine approximate areas being identified. Dispite that wrinkle the description of the events were compelling & descriptive to create a picture of events. Hannibal was a "Stud" no doubt.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Bruce Rodman
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best $4 books I ever bought
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Very thorough; an interesting account of the life and exploits of a warrior we've all heard of but probably don't know much about. One of those books that you regret finishing. More maps would have been a plus but the lack of them didn't detract much. Very well done.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Phillip Manson
    3.0 out of 5 stars The father of ambush warfare and frontal attack strategies
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Hannibal's wars with Rome. A brilliant strategist who admired Scipio Africanus who matched him using his own methods of flanking and ambush. Of interest to those who appreciate the workings of empires in history. Not for light reading.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • S. Bassin
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good, not great
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is an excellent biography of an interesting historical figure. Two criticisms. The book would benefit from some maps or diagrams because so much of the text describes little known locations. I would like some more conclusory analysis, not just a recitation of events
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dradu
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in Canada on September 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A lot of history I did not know about him
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  • Jochen Michels
    5.0 out of 5 stars A modern biography of Hannibal Barkas
    Reviewed in Germany on August 2, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Bradford manages to give a vivid description of Hannibal's life, starting with his suicide, when the Roman legionaries finally surrounded his house in Bythnia to finish the Roman nightmare. His mastery and dissection of the historical sources is very interesting, although in one or two cases I'd preferred a bit more grain of salt, f.e. Bradford takes the story of the nine year old Hannibal with his oath against Rome at face value where I personally see rather a posthumous legend. Perhaps the strongest part is the description of the complex of polities around Carthago and Rome in the Mediterranean world and the reasoning why Hannibal failed: a lack of heavy machinery which did not allow him to put the city of Rome or their allies under siege, but also the outdated political goal of Carthago as an independent city-state, despite of his unmastered military prowess until the final (and first !) battle defeat at Zama. The Roman Empire was simply superior to the hodgepodge of competing city-states in Italy, Greece and the Levante and even the contrafactual case of a military victory would have been in the end simply defensive, a try to freeze a nascent Roman Empire and to stop the running clock
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  • Celtae
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well balanced, well written
    Reviewed in Australia on June 9, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The story of Hannibal is well known, or is it? This book fills in a lot of the detail around Carthage, Rome and the people who made up the story of the Second Punic War.
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  • Gisli Jokull Gislason
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hannibal knew how to win victory but not how to use it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    All in all one great book and it wasn't untill later that I realised that I had previously read another book by Ernle Bradford - The Great Siege: Malta, 1565 (Wordsworth Military Library) and that is easily among the better history books I have read. Bradfords style is living and smooth and you have the feel of reading a fictional novel whitout sacrificing historic content. Today these are my favorite books, for real life has a far deeper plot than fiction, and the characters have greater depth.
    As for the book itself the story of Hannibal is the story of Carthage and the rise of Rome. It is the story of the underdog vs. the almighty Empire and it has a tragic twist. From a military standpoint Hannibals achivements were outstanding and battles are well rendered in the book. Politically the stakes were high in this life and death struggle, the last danger to the new order and the final hope of salvation for an entire nation. All in all a most excellent read. For 5 pounds, buy it.
    Lastly I would like to recommend that you read Scipio Africanus: Greater than Napoleon by Liddel Hart when you have read Hannibal, so that you can see Hannibal and his victor from a Roman standpoint, together the books greatly compliment each other. Both books are great and I am a little sad that I have finished both and have to find something new to read.
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  • rosie featherstone
    4.0 out of 5 stars Hannibal was far more than a Roman, elephant mahout
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Great book, Hannibal as a soldier commander and leader to be reckoned with
    Easy to read and engagig, once I read tis Hannibal became one of my all time heroes. Why 4* Because after his first campaign nothing elase could have surprised me!
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