The last Punic war, Vol. 1 (of 2) : $b Tunis, past and present : with a narrative of the French conquest of the regency.

The work opens with a vivid picture of Tunis at the end of the 19th century, portraying a once‑independent Muslim regency caught in the tangled web of Ottoman suzerainty and European ambition. Its author, a barrister who reported from the front lines, frames the French invasion as a modern “last Punic war,” drawing parallels between the ancient clashes over Carthage and the 1881 conquest that ended centuries of Moorish rule. The preface lays out the diplomatic backdrop—firman guarantees, the Bey’s limited authority, and the sudden, un‑announced French incursion that imposed a protectorate without formal declaration of war.

Beyond the political narrative, the volume offers richly detailed illustrations that bring the bustling streets, mountain passes, and sacred sites of Tunis to life for the listener. The author intertwines the local religious sentiment, especially the reverence for the holy Kairwan, with the broader anxieties rippling through North Africa and the rivalries of European powers. Readers are invited to explore a pivotal moment when colonial ambition reshaped an entire region, setting the stage for the complex history that follows.