The Three Generals

Scipio Africanus #2

by Martin Tessmer

210 BCE. Young Scipio Africanus lands in Iberia to retake the country from Mago, Hasdrubal, and Gisgo, the invincible Three Generals that killed his father and uncle. Outmanned and undersupplied, the new general must rely on his ingenuity and resourcefulness to halt the Carthaginian generals before they can join Hannibal the Great and destroy Rome.

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Martin Tessmer spent thirty-five years as a design and training expert for universities and the military. In the late 1990s, he went on hiatus from the academic world to work as an outdoor writer, publishing several wilderness books and writing for numerous outdoor magazines.

Martin returned to academia in 2000, heading up an online training development center for the University of Colorado system. He retired in 2010, and went on to work with the U.S. Navy on designing fighter pilot training programs. He is now semi-retired, devoting himself to historical novels. His recent research on the Punic Wars has taken him to London, Rome, Ostia, and Barcelona.

In addition to his six-book Scipio Africanus series, Martin has just released The Noble Brute, the first historical novel about Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus.

Reviews

[R Pata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rise and Shine…or Already Woke Up

This is a book written about 200 to 210 B.C. but it really could be a story in today’s society, and very many and critical ways.

The good guys were the liberals in the Hellenistic party of Rome. The bad guys were portrayed as the conservatives in the Latin political party. The ones that were characterized as somewhat evil were in the____party, yes, that’s right the Latins.

And even though this was a period before Roman women really became super powerful, they were portrayed as such, including killing people in bloody, messy ways.

One thing I find common in a lot of these type of books at least at this level is the inability of the author to distinguish between north south east and west in any kind of consistent way. An example is talking about Cartago Nova a city on the shore of the Mediterranean where Spain currently exists… where water is east of it and the land to the west. In one sentence it talked about being west of the city while riding horses and marching. A little further down, and not far at all, there was a reference to Cartago Nova being west of that location.

Hey it’s on the Spanish east coast - if you’re on land and there’s dirt under your feet you’ve got to be west of the city. It’s a little thing but it does point out a consistent issue throughout the book.

[william m. selman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessmer is an excellent author who turns a somewhat boring history novel into an exciting story about one of the greatest generals in the past 2,500 years. Truly a book worthy of the time spent reading it. It's major flaw, as with all of the Scipio Africanus series of books is the lack of decent maps reflecting the story's tale. It's absolutely scandalous that the map of Iberia occupies all of a 2" square on a page which is 8"x5". Everything on the map is blurry and using a microscope doesn't help. You'd think Tessmer would ensure his reading public could at least be shown where these famous battles he so eloquently describes are located relative to the rest of the world - at that time. Gosh, to think it might cost another $25 in ink and time to show a proper map on a page is beyond the publisher's, via the author's okay, costs abilities. Scandalous, that's all, just scandalous.

[Michael Leyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read!

Again great read and love the character development of these historical figures.
I am not sure what much of the gratuitous sex scenes add to the story. The author strays away from excellence to get this stuff into the story.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in the series finds young Scipio Africanus trying to neutralize three Carthaginian generals in ancient Spain. Scipio is both cunning and patient waiting for just the right moments to attack each army, which are greater in number than his legions.

Complicating matters is Roman politics with threats on his fiancé and mother who try to thwart the moves of the Agrarian party.

Tautly written with careful attention to detail and events.

[Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Scipio Rising and this was as good if not better. It was fast moving and full of tension. Tessmer admits to some military innovations which may not have come along until the arrival of Gaius Marius, but hey, we don't really know. Thoroughly enjoyable and I am looking forward to a sequel.

If you like Roman Army fiction, do not miss this.

[Joseph S Alexander III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read.

I have had so much fun reading the first two books in this trilogy. I am anxiously awaiting the third and final book - and then perhaps a other trilogy? This trilogy grabs you and is a great read; as good as Simon Scarrow's The Eagle series. Well done to Martin Tessmer.

[V. William Turkus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read plausible story

Kept my attention throughout with well drawn characters and a steady pace. Would have been useful to have some maps to help with the understanding of the battles.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Insight into the world of a Roman hero. My disdain for political games is further fueled. Scipio has a brilliant mind for Machiavellian maneuvering.