HANNIBAL: ENEMY OF ROME


One of the greatest book I have ever read. I will take you through the many journies that this great North African took, and the many victories he won. He has been compared to Napoleon, and many have described him as a greater force that many of the renown strategist that ever existed. We will meticulously examine each element of Hannibal;. But first let us look at the author:


AUTHOR: LEONARD COTTRELL


Leonard Eric Cottrell (2lst of May, 1913 - 6th of October, 1974) was a prolific and popular British author and journalist.


Leonard Cottrell was born 2lst of May 1913 at Tettenhall, Wolverhampton to William and Beatrice Cottrell née Tootell. His father inspired an interest in history at the age of ten. At King Edward's Grammar School, Birmingham, Leonard was only interested in History and English, reading widely.


Leonard was rejected by the RAF during World War II, for medical reasons, but he joined the BBC in 1942 and they stationed him, in 1944, in the Mediterranean with the RAF as a war correspondent. His experiences as war correspondent formed the basis of his book All Men are Neighbours (1947). He worked at the BBC until 1960, when he resigned and moved to a house overlooking the estuary of the River Kent in Westmoreland, Cumbria, where he stayed for the rest of his life, writing.


Leonard Cottrell died on the 6th October 1974.


Books he authored:

  • The Quest for Sumer (1952)
  • The Bull of Minos: the discoveries of Schliemann and Evans (1953)
  • The Lost Pharaohs: The Romance of Egyptian Archaeology (1955)
  • The Mountains of Pharaoh (1956)
  • Seeing Roman Britain (1956)
  • The Anvil of Civilisation (1957)
  • The Great Invasion (1958)
  • Wonders of the World (1959)
  • Land of the Pharaohs (1960)
  • The Tiger of Chʻin: The Dramatic Emergence of China as a Nation (1962)
  • Land of the Two Rivers (1962)
  • Realms of Gold: A Journey in Search of the Mycenaeans (1963)
  • The Lion Gate: A Journey in Search of the Mycenaeans (1963)
  • Lost Cities (1963)
  • Digs and diggers: a book of world archaeology (1964)
  • The Secrets of Tutankhamen's Tomb (1964)
  • Crete: Island of Mystery (1965)
  • The Quest for Sumer (1965)
  • The Land of Shinar (1965)
  • Egypt (1965)
  • Hannibal: Enemy of Rome (1965)
  • A Guide to Roman Britain (1966)
  • Great Leaders of Greece and Rome (1966)
  • Lady of the two lands: five queens of ancient Egypt (1967)
  • The Warrior Pharaohs (1968)
  • Madame Tussaud (1970)
  • The mystery of Minoan civilization (1971)
  • Reading the Past: The Story of Deciphering Ancient Languages (1971)
  • Lost Civilizations (1974)
  • All Men are Neighbours (1947)
  • One Man's journey
[Source: Wikipedia]

Mr Cottrell and his wife in writing this book, took the same route that Hannibal via the Alps to get to Rome. He journeyed "in a 1 1/2 ton Austin Bus converted into a trailer, and "Vairee Luvlee". The name was given to her by an enthusiastic French peasant whom he met in the valley of the Loire; and it stuck" [Introduction, ix] The journey took him around six weeks, over 4,000 miles. It included two crossings of the Pyrennes, the Alps and the Apennines.

His writing paints a picture that grips the soul and make you want to read more and more....

Tomorrow, we start Hannibal's journey together....