Official Review: The Death of Carthage by Robin E. Levin

[Timothy Rucinski]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Death of Carthage" by Robin E. Levin.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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I’ve always found Roman and Greek history quite interesting, but I never knew much about the Punic Wars waged between Rome and Carthage. Therefore, I was pleased to read The Death of Carthage, Robin E. Levin’s fictionalized account of the warring empires.

The Death of Carthage focuses on the Second and Third Punic Wars, which were fought between 218 BC and 146 BC. Levin divides his book into three essential sections with an afterward. The first section details the accounts of the Second War as witnessed by Lucius Tullius Varro, a military man and personal friend of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, one of the chief architects of Rome's strategy for fighting the Carthaginians. Julius recounts the years of war and the brokerage of the peace treaty with Carthage. He also relates the events leading up to the conflict and the aftermath. Enneus Tullius, Julius' cousin and soldier in the Roman army, narrates the second part of the book, spotlighting the years between the wars. Taken prisoner by the Carthaginians and sold to a wealthy Greek landowner, Enneus is freed and returned to Rome as part of a reparation agreement between Rome and Greece. The third section features the breaking of the peace treaty and the Third Punic War as witnessed by Enneus’s son, Hector, a translator in the employ of the Roman government.

Julius and Hector narrate the action of the various battles; however, the author doesn't dwell on excessive detail. The strategies and battlefield exploits are revealed straightforwardly in much the same way as aspects of Roman and Greek non-war activities. Although we get a good idea of the military tactics involved, the book focuses more on the personal lives of those affected, lending the historical events a human touch. For those expecting explicit, detailed accounts of battles and strategy, this is not the book.

Each of the characters, both fictional and historical, is portrayed realistically by Mr. Levin. He skillfully weaves the activities of his fictional characters with real events, often citing quotations from actual participants. These quotes are taken from existing reports by writers of the time, including the Greek historians Plutarch and Polybius.

The author does a beautiful job describing daily life as it unfolded during these years, providing a counterbalance to the wars waged throughout the Iberian Peninsula, northern Italy, and the North African coast. The characters reveal a lot about their stations in life and the time they live as they discuss the perceived decay of Roman society, agricultural practices, marital fidelity, the differences in lifestyles between Rome itself and the surrounding country, and views on slavery.

I particularly liked the author’s ability to make the battles understandable by relating them through the words of participants and observers while keeping the descriptions simple. Hector, for instance, describes the fight for Carthage from an adjacent hillside and expresses the effect on him of the brutality witnessed. I also enjoyed how the different characters in each section give their spin on what happened in the previous section, although, at times, this literary device becomes somewhat repetitious. What I disliked was the lack of maps. Being able to visualize the advances of the Carthaginians, the battles, the route of Hannibal crossing the Alps, and the sea crossings would have been more effective if maps were included. Although I had a reasonably good idea of the comings and goings of the characters, I had to Google several locations to better understand where the action was happening.

Unfortunately, the book was not professionally edited as it is filled with numerous grammatical errors. There wasn’t anything to impede reading the novel, but there was enough to be distracting. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, or the history of Rome and Greece, will truly enjoy this book, despite the errors.

I've read many historical fiction and history books, and I found The Death of Carthage enjoyable, informative, and enlightening. I award it 3 out of 4 stars, deducting one star because of the significant grammatical errors. Nevertheless, for those interested in the historical period but not interested in wading through the classic writings of Roman historians and philosophers, I highly recommend The Death of Carthage.
 

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The Death of Carthage
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[Kanchan Sharma]

The review is depicting so many twists and turns that I am really wishing to read the book.

[Peace Odii]

Historical fictions of wars seems to be my preference recently. Well written review.

[Becca Olsson]

I like that the book doesn’t only focus on the details of the battles and action and that he includes daily like as well. Thanks for the detailed review

[DANAWEB]

It is unfortunate that the book has several grammatical errors which hinders the readability. Thank you for the detailed review!

[markodim721]

It is good that the author has taken a solid historical basis for his book. It can be seen that the writer has invested considerable effort in gathering historical facts. Too bad the book is poorly edited.

[Timothy Rucinski]

Historical fictions of wars seems to be my preference recently. Well written review.

Thanks very much!

[Timothy Rucinski]

I like that the book doesn’t only focus on the details of the battles and action and that he includes daily like as well. Thanks for the detailed review

You are quite welcome.

[Timothy Rucinski]

It is unfortunate that the book has several grammatical errors which hinders the readability. Thank you for the detailed review!

You are very welcome.

[Timothy Rucinski]

It is good that the author has taken a solid historical basis for his book. It can be seen that the writer has invested considerable effort in gathering historical facts. Too bad the book is poorly edited.

The editing isn't great, but the work itself is very fine.