The Young Carthaginian: A Story of the Times of Hannibal

Who would have thought that a book written in the 1800s could be so appealing today? Doing a little internet research, I have found that G.A. Henty lived from 1832-1902, and the books he wrote were historical fiction "for boys". He was called "The Prince of Story-Tellers" and "The Boy's Own Historian", which certainly may have been true, but I'm an adult female who loved this tale! The style of writing sounds a little formal and old-fashioned, but it actually helps create a feeling of antiquity, appropriate for its ancient setting during the Punic Wars.The fictional and lovable hero, Marchus, a relative of the famous Hannibal, accompanies him on the Carthaginian campaign against Rome. I learned so much about Hannibal through this book, yet the majority of the plot involves other adventures that Marchus gets into. He has near escapes from bears, wolves, lions, treacherous tribesmen. In two instances, he escapes with the help of an elephant, and a raft in the subterranean reservoir of Carthage. This was fun stuff, and I am so impressed that this book I found, that is so old it doesn't even have a publication date in it, could be so delightful. Someone could make a great movie out of this!

Everyone, it seems, has heard of Hannibal bringing his army,including the elephants,through the Alps, right to the doorstep of Rome. However, a readable account of Carthage vs. Rome is not easy to find. I've been very happy to find this fascinating historical novel as the best way to teach my two sons, ages 11 and 14, about this time in history. There are some valuable lessons for us all in the book--valor, honor, and how corruption destroys great nations.

G. A. Henty lived just over a hundred years ago and wrote dozens and dozens of books. He would research everything that had to do with the time period before he even started writing, hence, his works are very, very historically accurate. He takes a military event and tells the story from the piont of veiw of a fictional young man. In every book, Henty's main character is a good, honest, brave young man, and a perfect role model. The Young Carthaginian takes place during Hannibal's invasion of Rome. It is a very well written peice that goes into great detail about the invasion, with some exciting made-up parts involving his main character. I would reccommend this book for anyone over 10, there are a few dry parts, and the wording can get a little tough for youngsters. All-in-all this is a great book that you'll enjoy reading.

The Young Carthaginian deserves more than five stars. The adventures of Malchus, a young Carthaginian noble through the streets of Carthage, rugged mountain ridges, the thick forests of Sardinia, and finally, Rome, keep us on the edge of our seats until the end of the book. It is like an adventure novel more than a history novel, but when we finish the book, we realize that we have learned a lot about the wars between Carthage and Rome without taking the usual pains we have as we use monotonous books.

The young Carthiginain is the first G.A. henty book I read. It is an excellent book about a young Carthigian and one of the best generals of all time: Hannibal. I loved this book it got me going on all the other Henty books. It is amazing to see how great of a general he is. It told me all kinds of stuff about him defeating the Romans in many battles when he was out numbered 2 to 1.