Description: "How far would you go for Rome? Carthage, 146 BC. This is the story of Fabius Petronius Secundus - Roman legionary and centurion - and his rise to power: from his first battle against the Macedonians, that seals the fate of Alexander the Great's Empire, to total war in North Africa and the Seige of Carthage. Fabius's success brings him admiration and respect, but also attracts greed and jealousy - the closest allies can become the bitterest of enemies. And then there is Julia, of the Caesar family - a dark horse in love with both Fabius and his rival Paullus - who causes a vicious feud. Ultimately for Fabius, it will come down to one question: how much is he prepared to sacrifice for his vision of Rome? Inspired by Total War: Rome II, the bestselling Total War series, Destroy Carthage is the first in an epic series of novels. Not only the tale of one man's fate, it is also a journey to the core of Roman times, through the world of extraordinary military tactics and political intrigue that Rome's warriors and citizens used to cheat death. "--
Brief description: DAVID GIBBINS is the internationally bestselling author of A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks, as well as eleven Jack Howard and two Total War novels. He has worked in underwater archaeology all his professional life. After taking a PhD from Cambridge University he taught archaeology in Britain and abroad, and is a world authority on ancient shipwrecks and sunken cities. He has led numerous expeditions to investigate underwater sites in the Mediterranean and around the world. He currently divides his time between fieldwork, England and Canada.
Review Quotes:
"Gibbins delivers the last battle in superb scenes of the horrid surprises of war... 'Carthage must be destroyed' is the endgame of this novel, but the road to that Roman victory is the true reading enjoyment." --Kirkus
"One of the best historical novels of the year. Gibbins has done a stunning job piercing together various historical sources to create an extraordinary tale of Scipio and his role in the siege of Carthage. A tale based in actual history. As such, I would recommend Destroy Carthage not only to fans of the computer game series but to anyone willing to discover that past is sometimes much more excited than fantasy." --upcoming4.me "The novel manages to capture the true spirit of the Total War series and gives anyone with even a passing interest in Roman history a tempting taste of what scholars imagine that life was like during the rise of the Roman Empire. Destroy Carthage is certainly one of the more convincing and entertaining attempts at companion fiction I've seen and could even entice readers to pick up the Total War: Rome II game to see if they could match - or better - Scipio's achievements." --Geek chocolate "Perhaps the most impressive element of Destroy Carthage is that it finds such a large thread of history that's so accurately able to parallel the action of the game.... the book is, by and large, a political thriller.... It also shows Gibbins' attention to detail--he paints a vivid picture of what ancient Roman life would've been like circa the second century B.C.... If you enjoy immersing yourself in a historical time period and learning a bit about long-extinct cultures--or find yourself obsessed with the corresponding game and need something else to help augment your experience--this is a solid read that's definitely worth your time." --Electronic Gaming Monthly