2 Book Lovers Reviews
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I love a good historical war story, especially those based in Roman times. There were two things that especially intrigued me about The Thunderbolt, first of all, because it is set during The Republic and not during The Empire. Secondly, because it is from the point of view of the enemy, from the outside looking in.
The Thunderbolt is the story of Hannibal, one of the very few generals to lead an army to the walls of Rome. James Duprie did an excellent job of telling this fascinating tale and shedding some light on the character of this man, who could have had one of the most profound effects on the history of western civilization.
We are introduced to Hannibal, and we get to see him as a young man. Duprie does a fantastic job of developing the character, we completely understand his hatred of Rome. As a reader, I could sympathize with his frustration in dealing with the politics of Carthage, the indecision and the fear felt by the others. And finally we follow Hannibal with his great army as they pass through the Alps into Italy. It was fascinating to see Hannibal’s character develop as the story went on.
It was great to read someone’s perspective on this Punic War. It was one of the major turning points in history that solidified Rome’s hold on power early on. It is hard to imagine what would have happened had Hannibal been successful.
*4 Stars