Scipio Africanus

I found it very confusing, hard to read and follow, with far too much unneeded detail and not enough relevant story. I read a lot of history and see no need for it to be so complex. I am not sure what the others saw in it. As much as the author was praised, I don't believe I'd buy another of his books.

The title tells you what Liddell Hart thinks of him: in his estimation, Publius Cornelius Scipio was the greatest general of all time. At first blush this may seem a pet theory: Scipio's name is unfamiliar to most all except classics scholars and opera buffs. But in a detailed, illuminating account of Scipio's career, Liddell Hart prosecutes his theory with vigor. As he explains, "greatness" is not properly measured in terms of body count or territorial gain; to find a "great captain" one first looks for someone who knows precisely what needs to be done in order to achieve a strategic objective, and finds the tactical means to do this. Scipio's trumphs in New Carthage (Spain) and later his annihilation of Hannibal's army at Zama and later exploits in Asia are proof of this ability. Above this, a great general must have a sense of proportion, of measuring the success of a particular strategy in terms of its long-term impact. In this respect, he argues, Scipio wins out over Napoleon, because he never went to excess in the pursuit of his military goals. He was never greedy, bloodthirsty or unrealistic: witness his refusal to pursue endless and futile conquests in Asia, or the relatively generous terms that he offered Carthage in the Punic Wars. Liddell Hart's concept of "greatness by restraint" also reveals his own perspective on military affairs: writing as he did in the 1920s, he was very subtly expressing his profound disgust with many of the WW1 leaders. Tis book can thus be read on two levels: Liddell Hart's derision of Cato (the genocidal Roman senator who, following Scipio's retirement, eventually persuaded Rome to raze Carthage to the ground) can be interpreted as a latter day commentary on the politicians who deluded themselves that Versaille had won them an everlasting peace.

Though synonomous with the victory of Zama, there is a wealth of information about Scipio Africanus, military, political and social, that has been tragically lost among the annals of history. Better than any other book of which I am aware, Hart's title does a great service in bringing much of this information back into the limelight in a manner that was easily readable and enjoyable, a clear cut and direct approach to an immense topic. Saying that book opened up my eyes to the exploits of one of history's greatest captains would be an understatement, as in fact it thrust my attention upon what is certainly antiquity's and possibly history's finest captain. Scipio's military campaign in Spain, an endeavor clearly captured in this book and described in detail, may be the greatest forgotten campaign in history. Displaying a strategic and tactical sense that seems unrivalled until the days of Napoleon, Scipio won victories with a decisiveness under overwhelming odds and the oppression of a jealous senate that set him high above the military mastery levels of Caesar without a doubt and probably even Hannibal and Alexander as well. However, it is these lesser captains that have been immortalized in history and Scipio that has been forgotten, and Hart's discussion of this reality is one of the most spectacular portions of the book. That chapter alone would be well worth your purchase of this fine selection. The claim of this book holding relevance for even modern military students is also highly justified, as the intellectual ability of Scipio on both a military and, often more importantly, diplomatic level, serves as an example for all future leaders of men. Without a shred of doubt, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history, military, government or humanities in general, as the relevance of it cannot be understated, as it unfortunately has been for so many centuries.

Liddell-Hart has delivered a godsend for military enthusiasts & readers alike,by finely narrating the campaigns & quite convincingly the achievements of this brilliant & great but quite appropriately forgotten general. One of the greatest crimes of this book is the way the author undermines the greatness of the other three immortals of military antiquity:Alexander,Hannibal & Caesar.Though I would not go into great length to prove this,point by point,I would humbly suggest readers that after reading this book,to please look for other sources on the great generals aforementioned,so one could compare & see things in a much better,clearer,more factual light.I strongly suggest reading Theodore Dodge's books on these men.For if one were to rely on this book as a main source,one would be terribly misguided into believing Scipio as the greatest man & general in history.Which is definitely not the case.When all is summed up,comparing him to his rival,the case paves to this irrefutable fact:Hannibal was the original,innovative master, & Scipo his greatest pupil. My other criticism,in a more technical term,is the lack of more maps in the book to detail & highlight his campaigns.Maps detailing the maneuveres in the Battle of the Great Plains,the burning of the Carthaginian camps,the battle against Andobales in Spain,The Siege Of Cartagena,etc.,would have made it a more instructive & fulfilling book. Other than these,I would say that this is the best book on Scipio ever written,a great contribution to humanity in fact,in the sense that it brings to every reader the importance & achievement of a great man who is almost forgotten in the annals of history.And convinces him.And for this alone deserves the highest merit.