"Over two thousand years ago one of the greatest military leaders in history almost destroyed Rome. Hannibal, a daring African general from the city of Carthage, led an army of warriors and battle elephants over the snowy Alps to invade the very heart of Rome's growing empire. But what kind of person would dare to face the most relentless imperial power of the ancient world? How could Hannibal, consistently outnumbered and always deep in enemy territory,...

The struggle to the death between the Carthaginians and the Romans was one of the defining dramas of the ancient world. In an epic series of land and sea battles, both sides came close to victory before the Carthaginians finally succumbed and their capital city, history, and culture were almost utterly erased. Drawing on a wealth of new archaeological research, Richard Miles vividly brings to life this lost empire--from its origins among the Phoenician...

"Hannibal lived a life of incredible feats of daring and survival, massive military engagements, and ultimate defeat. A citizen of Carthage and military commander in Punic Spain, he famously marched his war elephants and huge army over the Alps into Rome's own heartland to fight the Second Punic War. Yet the Romans were the ultimate victors. They eventually captured and destroyed Carthage, and thus it was they who wrote the legend of Hannibal: a brilliant...

The third century BCE: One man will bring an empire to its knees. The wars between Rome and Carthage will see some of the most bloody and savage battles of all time. Hundreds of thousands will die, and Rome will win mastery of the known world. Amid this, a figure will emerge who has become the stuff of myth and legend: Hannibal Barca. In this breathtaking chronicle of love and hate, heroism and cruelty, one of history's greatest generals returns...

Robert L. O'Connell, one of the most admired names in military history, tells the whole story of Cannae for the first time, giving a stirring account of this apocalyptic battle of the Second Punic War, and its causes and consequences.

From the Publisher: Hannibal's enduring reputation as a man and as a general is due to his enemies' fascination with him. The way his legend was shaped in the Greek and Roman consciousness is one of the book's main themes. Under Hannibal's leadership, Carthage came close to dominating the western Mediterranean; his total victory would have changed the course of history. That he was a brilliant general is unquestioned, and his strategy and tactics...