08-15-2008, 05:18 AM
I'm reading a book about alternative Roman history, and there's something within that I've been wondering about. It's a fictional book, about what may have happened if Hannibal had won, but I'm not sure if I am allowed to divulge the name/author. Probably, but I dunno. Its not a historical source or anything, and i don't want what's written to slander the author. It is a pretty entertaining book.
Its about a command tower used during a battle, where the commander and about a dozen officers and signalers stood twenty feet above the battlefield and could direct and order their legions from this stationary platform. It was apparently made of iron-braced wood, fastened with iron pins, which could be easily dissembled and moved around. Riders would be at ground level ready to dispatch couriers. That's about all there is in its description.
I ran a few searches on here, but couldn't find anything relating to it (although, I'll admit I didn't look all that hard).
So? Any evidence of something like this being used? Granted, the book takes place in an alternate time line around 100 BC, but so far the author has done a fairly good job in keeping things real.
Although, the Archimedes death ray works in the book, and due to the course of action post Hannibal, Archimedes survived the siege at Syracuse and lived a remaining ten years in Alexandria, and as a result, a Archimedian school was built there, and by 100 BC they've figured out how to make submarines, periscopes, and turbines... a bit far fetched as far as I know, but who knows, I'm sure some of you guys more than me. It's the great thing about alternative history, I'd known since I'm writing my own alternative history fiction book.
I'm sure anybody who's read the book has already figured out which one I'm talking about, by now, but unless I get the go ahead, might as well keep the book itself under wraps.
Ideas?
Its about a command tower used during a battle, where the commander and about a dozen officers and signalers stood twenty feet above the battlefield and could direct and order their legions from this stationary platform. It was apparently made of iron-braced wood, fastened with iron pins, which could be easily dissembled and moved around. Riders would be at ground level ready to dispatch couriers. That's about all there is in its description.
I ran a few searches on here, but couldn't find anything relating to it (although, I'll admit I didn't look all that hard).
So? Any evidence of something like this being used? Granted, the book takes place in an alternate time line around 100 BC, but so far the author has done a fairly good job in keeping things real.
Although, the Archimedes death ray works in the book, and due to the course of action post Hannibal, Archimedes survived the siege at Syracuse and lived a remaining ten years in Alexandria, and as a result, a Archimedian school was built there, and by 100 BC they've figured out how to make submarines, periscopes, and turbines... a bit far fetched as far as I know, but who knows, I'm sure some of you guys more than me. It's the great thing about alternative history, I'd known since I'm writing my own alternative history fiction book.
I'm sure anybody who's read the book has already figured out which one I'm talking about, by now, but unless I get the go ahead, might as well keep the book itself under wraps.
Ideas?
