Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization - Softcover

Miles, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141018097 ISBN 13: 9780141018096

Publisher: Penguin, 2011

Synopsis

Richard Miles's Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilization charts one of the bloodiest dramas of the Ancient World: the devastating struggle to the death between Carthage and Rome.

In an epic series of battles, the mighty empires of Carthage and Rome vied for supremacy of the Mediterranean - before the Carthaginians finally buckled and their great capital city was razed to the ground, burning for six days and nights, its inhabitants slaughtered or enslaved.

Carthage Must Be Destroyed tells the story of this lost empire - from its origins in Lebanon to its apotheosis as the greatest sea-power of its age - and brings to life legendary figures such as the military genius Hannibal, who led his troops across the Alps and almost toppled Roman power, but would ultimately lead his people to disaster.

'Splendid ... epic and fascinating'
  Tom Holland

'An enthralling narrative'
  Economist

'The Carthaginians finally get their due ... well-paced and compelling ... In bringing the real Carthage to the fore, Carthage Must Be Destroyed makes a substantial contribution to the field'
  Financial Times

'Lively and compelling'
  Literary Review

'Thoughtful and meticulous ... fascinating'
  Guardian

'A superb achievement'
  Sunday Telegraph

Richard Miles is Professor of Classics at the University of Sydney and a Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. He has written widely on Punic, Roman and Vandal North Africa and has directed archaeological excavations in Carthage and Rome. He is also the author of Ancient Worlds and the presenter and writer of the series Ancient Worlds for BBC2.

About this title

Review

Mr. Miles has skilfully fused the works of ancient historians such as Polybius and Livy, a wide range of modern studies and recent archaeological research to create a convincing and enthralling narrative (The Economist)

Richard Miles's Carthage Must be Destroyed is a refreshing addition to the debate (Philip Parker Financial Times)

This is a lively and compelling, chronological account of Carthage from its Phoenician foundation to its reception in Emperor Augustus's Rome (Paul Cartledge Literary Review)

Richard Miles tells this story with tremendous élan, combining the best of modern scholarship with narrative pace and energy. It is a superb achievement, a model for all such endeavours. He is even better on the little-known background to this tale (Peter Jones Telegraph)

The dramatic story of these events is set out in gripping detail (The Scotsman)

A fine, sweeping survey of the rise and fall of an empire and a glimpse into the diversity of the ancient world ... Richard Miles is ... concerned with the wider context ... and his book is all the more valuable for that (Wall Street Journal)

About the Author

Richard Miles is Professor of Classics at the University of Sydney and a Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. He has written widely on Punic, Roman and Vandal North Africa and has directed archaeological excavations in Carthage and Rome. He is also the author of Ancient Worlds (Allen Lane, October 2010) and the presenter and writer of the series Ancient Worlds for BBC2.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0141018097
• ISBN 13: 9780141018096
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 544