Rating: 
Summary: Greater Than Napoleon!
Review: "So general is the recognition of Hannibal's genius in this battle art that he is commonly termed the supreme tactician of history. Yet in ruse and strategem the record of Scipio's battles is even richer (p.253)."
Author Basil H. Liddell Hart has created a wonderful story outlining the history and exploits of possibly the greatest general of any military force, Scipio Africanus.
Publius Cornelius Scipio was born in Rome in 235 B.C.; his first recorded taste of warfare was at the battle of the Ticinus, where Hannibal first clashed with the Romans after his famous passage through the Alps with his elephants, and in which Scipio's father was the commander. Here the 17 year old Scipio saved his father's life, and only two years later, the year of the Romans' disastrous defeat at Cannae, he was already the equivalent of a Colonel. In 210 B.C. the dynamic and charasmatic young Scipio was put in supreme command; Ticinus and Cannae were the only scenes of failure Scipio witnessed, for in command he never lost a battle. In three years he destroyed Carthaginian power in Spain and on his return to Italy pressed for a direct attack on Carthage. Made consul, he took his forces to Africa where he destroyed the forces of Carthage's great ally, Syphax. Two years later he clashed with Hannibal himself, annihilating his army in the decisive battle of Zama. For his triumph of arms, which finally broke Carthaginian power, he was awarded the title of "Africanus."
At 280 pages, this text is very entertaining and easy to read and understand. Without footnotes and only a short bibliography, the book is still a watershed of ancient military insight from the military historian master himself, B.H. Liddell Hart. I rate this text as five stars! Superb!
Rating:
Summary: The Complete Captain
Review: B.H. Liddell Hart offers a very insightful look at arguably one of the greatest leaders of all time. Publius Cornelius Scipio was granted the title of Africanus by Rome for his defeat of Hannibal on the field of Zama and the resulting victory over Carthage in the second punic war. Scipio undoubtedly possessed incredible insight on the field of battle yet it is his understanding of diplomacy that demands our attention. Liddell Hart demonstrates this aspect of Scipio's character very well and how it produced in him a wonderful mixture of ferocity and mercy in his dealings with his adversaries and allies. Scipio, unlike so many other great captains understood that open violence is just one of the means to a more perfect peace. Machiavelli criticized this facet of his personality as being weakness yet it is exactly this cunning moderation that sped Scipio to attain the ultimate victory. Aspiring leaders would do well to sit under his capable tutelage. I highly recommend this very readable book to any military or roman historian no matter how learned. Liddell Hart sheds much light on a man that is traditionally overshadowed by the colossus Hannibal. The greatness of Hannibal is undeniable yet it was Scipio not he who stood at the gates of the cowering enemy recieving their surrender. Victory is the ultimate display of greatness and for this accomplishment Scipio's memory should live on.
Rating:
Summary: Should be Required Reading for World History Classes
Review: B.H. Liddell Hart will likely become overlooked as one of the most prophetic and intriuging historians in recent history. I have read many of his books over 15 years ago, however, I had forgotten how emminently readible his writing is. Hart makes an astounding case for one of the most underrated leaders in Western history. Very few people don't know who Hannibal is, however, almost nobody knows who defeated him. Scipio Africanus is the ultimate example of a brilliant general both on the field and off, in war and diplomacy. An individual whose brilliance was only tempered by his humility and sense of duty. A perfect example of how the truly great leaders are often the least known. Individuals whose actions shift the very path of history and destiny of nations yet remain largely behind the scenes and forgotten by popular textbooks.
Liddell Hart puts us in the tents with Scipio as he constantly outmanuvers he enemies (foreign and domestic) by contstantly redefining the playing field. Rather than marching directly against Hannibal to save Rome, Scipio invades Spain and threatens Hannibal's supply thus forcing a retreat. This is but a small sample of the brilliant mind who truly 'thought outside the box' - whose manner of thinking and handling issues remains a rarity even in our time. Scipio serves as a great teacher to all who should learn the 'lessons of history' as Hart makes note of repeatedly. Had the architects of the Treaty of Versailles read and understood this book, WWII would not have happened. Scipio is the originator of the doctrine 'economy of force' and a role model for 'bloodless victories'. Clearly, at the time this book was written (1926), Hart had already forseen the drastic changes the next generation of warfare would take (such as the mobility of force as Erwin Rommel demonstrated repeatedly to the British) and the shortcomings of the doctrine of that day. This book should be required reading for World History classes not only for it's historical value; Could Rome have ever risen to be a World power had it not been for Scipio? Without a Rome, where would Europe be today? But also for it's overall lessons to leaders of any kind: Never fight the same battle as your enemy is fighting, defeat him on your terms, not his. Demonstrate generousity to your enemies after you have vanquished them if you don't want to fight them again.
Without hesitation, Hart makes an excellent case for Scipio being a greater (certainly humbler) leader than Napoleon in a very readible fashion.
Rating:
Summary: One hell of a read.
Review: Basil Henry Liddell-Hart is rightly acknowledged as one of the best military theorists, period. He was the man who inspired the likes of Patton and Guderian to their feats in World War II. His book about Scipio Africanus was written before his theories (snorted at by more conservative commanders) were proven in the field. Beyond that, Liddell-Hart tackled an obscure subject: the man that defeated Hannibal, who menaced Rome for many a long year, and established Rome as the pre-eminent classical power of the time. Liddell-Hart's style is easy to read, and the book is a breeze to read. If Liddell-Hart is perhaps more of a military theorist than a historian (though the two are hard to seperate) the book doesn't suffer from the distinction. Perhaps the greatest bit of insight gleaned from this book is Liddell-Hart's applause of the way Scipio Africanus pursued war to engineer a better peace. This theme appears and reappears through the book, and it is a shame the book isn't so widely read among policymaking circles. Certainly, he draws comparisons to his own bitter experience in World War I and prophecizes the breakdown of Versailles in this book. This is a good read, as all the books by this author have been for me.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant invention of the indirect approach.
Review: Captain Liddell-Hart is the first military historian to describe the use of the indirect approach in warfare. Scipio Africanus invented it. Hannibal had superior numbers and over 80 elephants against Scipio's foot soldiers and calvary. Yet he defeated Hannibal and saved the Roman Empire. This book and "Strategy" by Liddell-Hart should be required reading for any soldier
Rating:
Summary: Scipio Africanus et Amazonus
Review: I read a good deal of military history and ancient Roman history, though I am of the female persuasion. I read every book ever written about Hannibal Barca. I was fascinated with Hannibal until I read this book about his great adversary, Scipio Africanus. Undoubtedly Scipio is the greater man. I would love to know what these two said to each other when they met alone before the Battle of Zama. One pet peeve I have about history books is that they should be interesting. After all what could be more fascinating than the characters and events that shape our culture? B. H. Liddel Hart is an outstanding writer and I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Am I reading a different book?
Review: I think that the five-star rating of this book is vastly overstated.
This book has the following positive feature: it gives detailed and favorable treatment to Scipio, who has generally not received the attention and respect that he deserves.
That said, the following aspects of the book were a big turn-off for me:
-this book is simply an exercise in hero-worship, full of phrases such as "Is there any other man in all history..." or "the nobility of a man...who would stoop to take a subordinate position" among many others. It is even more blatant than Dodge's praise of Hannibal, which is saying something;
-the language is oddly phrased and stilted, at least to my 21st Century American ear;
-the book is largely a recital of the facts from Polybius and Livy, overlaid with forced or irrelevant comparisons of Scipio's or Rome's situation to some occurence during World War I, the Franco-Prussian War, etc.
Maybe I'm being overly harsh, but I am a big fan of military history, particularly of Roman period, and I was extremely relieved to finally finish this rather tedious book. Unfortunately, there are few others which dedicate sufficient attention to Scipio, who was certainly a remarkable character.
Rating:
Summary: Easy to Read, Worth Reading - A true Genius
Review: Liddell Hart presents us with the blueprint for the modern warrior. One who seeks to complete the overarching aim of the conflict without wanton destruction and carnage associated with World War 1. Published in 1926, fresh on the folly of the protracted trench warfare and the horribly punitive reparations demanded of the Germans, this book demonstrates a different way. The slaughter of soldiers without any clear military advantage arising from the action horrified LH's generation. Here is LH's description of a better way to prosecute a war. He dispels the notion that it something of a giant chess match played by the detached, but a horrific thing that should be resolved as expeditiously as possible. Here is how he writes that Scipio does it. First Scipio crippled the Carthaginians in Spain by capturing Cartegena, then crippled Hannibal in Italy by diverting Carthaginian resources from Italy to Spain. Then, piecemeal, he disables the remaining Carthaginian threat in Spain until only a sliver is no longer in Roman control. Buoyed by his triumph he proposes to attack Carthage while Hannibal still roams Italy. He receives permission from the fearful Roman Senate but modest support, and then proceeds the most stunning defeat of three separate armies (each larger than his own), including one led by Hannibal after his recall from Italy. Each battle won here was the result of superior tactics and strategy being brought to bear on the enemy. After defeating the Carthaginians (and later the Syrians under Antiochus) there was no excess pillaging and the tribute demanded was modest. Scipio made no personal fortune from the victories and was magnanimous to the defeated. The contrast to the First World War and its aftermath could not be more stark. Scipio realized that peace is the greater aim of war and he sowed the seeds of peace with every action during war. The French chose to sow a future war with the armistice concluding the First World War. As is common even in this day, Scipio was later vilified at home for his decisive action that brought peace. The critics of Scipio's day feared that his popularity would rise if they were silent in the face of his successes.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece of myth-demolishing writing
Review: Liddell-Hart's Scipio should be required reading in every high school and university because he refuses to worship at the altar of the sacred cows of history, killers like Hannibal, Caesar, Alexander, Napoleon, Robert E. Lee, etc. All of these "Great" men brought either tyranny to their country or left a legacy of poverty and destruction behind after their pursuit of glory on the battlefield. Not so with Scipio Africanus. Scipio was an intellectual and a lover of the classics. He joined the army not to seek personal fame and fortune, but to save his people from being destroyed by the rampaging Carthaginian Hannibal. When he was through defeating his enemy in Spain, Sicily, and finally on Hannibal's home turf in Africa at the battle of Zama, Scipio built a framework of peace and stability for the young Roman Republic that would only be threatened by Julius' later introduction of tyranny and one man rule. The most significant point militarily that Liddell-Hart makes is in emphasizing Scipio's use of indirect approach. Instead of relying on bloody frontal assaults into the heart of the enemies main army Scipio used an economy of human lives by attacking his enemies supply bases with few casualties to either side. By ruining Hannibal's ability to stay in Italy and forcing him to return home once Scipio was threatening to overrun Carthage, Scipio preserved the lives of his own men for the final confrontation at Zama. Once the time came for a head to head battle, the roman legions were supremely confident, even though Hannibal had never been defeated. Many readers even today sing the praises of Hannibal, but the truth is that Hannibal was soundly defeated at every turn by Scipio Africanus. Scipio's name must be remembered with higher esteem and honor. Liddell-Hart suggests that Scipio is greater than Napoleon because for all of his brilliance and virtuosity, Napoleon did everything to glorify himself, to seize dictatorial power, and all his efforts were ultimatley futile. He was defeated, he bankrupted France, and millions of men died or lived out their lives as cripples because of his masturbatory fantasies of personal wealth and glory. Scipio brought security and prosperity to his people, and then retired. That is why I also think that Scipio was Greater than Napoleon.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent and informative book on Scipio
Review: This was such an excellent book I had Amazon find the hardcover edition for my collection. Lidell-Hart has done an excellent job of a military review of Scipio. He has done a superb job of comparing Scipio's campaigns in Spain to the battles that were fought in Spain during the first world war. This is a very easy reading book while at the same time presenting the evidence found within Livy and Polybius in a very clear and concise manner. Although Lidell-Hart does not cite his evidence(I don't believe that this was as such a big deal at the start of the century that it is now) he does provide a bibliography of the ancient sources he used and it is pretty easy to follow if you have a good translation of Polybius. (The Rise of the Roman Empire would be best suited for reading before hand) Scipio who helped Rome to a fourth quater comeback (please excuse the footbal jargon)in perhaps one of her worst crisis and establish Rome as the military might of the Mediterranean world deserves his place in history and this book does a very fine job of doing just that.
|
