To say the Punic Wars (264-146 BC) were a turning point in world history
is a vast understatement. This bloody and protracted conflict pitted two
flourishing Mediterranean powers against one another, leaving one an
unrivalled giant and the other a literal pile of ash. To later
observers, a collision between these civilizations seemed inevitable and
yet to the Romans and Carthaginians at the time hostilities first
erupted seemingly out of nowhere, with what were expected to be
inconsequential results.
Mastering the West offers a thoroughly engrossing narrative of this
century of battle in the western Mediterranean, while treating a full
range of themes: the antagonists' military, naval, economic, and
demographic resources; the political structures of both republics; and
the postwar impact of the conflicts on the participants and victims. The
narrative also investigates questions of leadership and the
contributions and mistakes of leaders like Hannibal, Fabius the Delayer,
Scipio Africanus, Masinissa, and Scipio Aemilianus.
Dexter Hoyos, a leading expert of the period, treats the two great
powers evenly, without neglecting the important roles played by
Syracuse, Macedon, and especially Numidia. Written with verve in a
clear, accessible style, Mastering the West will be the most reliable
and engaging narrative of this pivotal era in ancient history.
