Uncovering the Tragic Battle of Cannae: How Hannibal's Victory Changed the Course of Roman History

micheal: Top delivery just as it said it was

United Kingdom on Mar 26, 2018

Je Salter: I didn't read the book but bought and listened to the CD audio version and the detail is incredible and it's enormous and really good value for money. It doesn't just cover Cannae but relates the history of Carthage and Rome and all the other principle players of the day and the events leading up to Rome's greatest ever single defeat and the after effects. The casualties of these battle's were truly horrific and the CD really does bring that to life.

It describes fully why Cannae occurred and why Hannibal led his army over the Alps from Spain on foot to take on the awesome fire power of the Roman legions and won, fighting battles for 'sixteen years' on their own soil in Italy. The Ghosts of Cannae is an absolutely incredible true story and if you are interested in the subject, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

The reference 'Ghosts' comes from those who actually survived the carnage and destruction of the battle at Cannae on the Roman side, where over 50,000 of their comrades and a good proportion of the Senate were massacred. They lived to fight the Carthaginian's years later and eventually got their revenge. Brilliant and unbelievable history but true!

United Kingdom on Jun 28, 2011

Diane B. Lockman: This review was written by my 16 year old son.

The 2nd Punic War was one of the greatest wars in history, waged between the Carthaginians and Romans. Lasting sixteen years, it was well documented by famous orators and historians, such as  Livy: The Early History of Rome, Books I-V (Penguin Classics) (Bks. 1-5) , The Rise of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics) , and  The Civil Wars (Penguin Classics) , who all gave a general overview of the war and how it played out. Robert L. O'Connell, on the other hand, specifically follows certain events from the Roman defeat at Cannae and its survivor's road to redemption at Zama.  The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic  is a brilliant book, a welcome accompaniment to the classic historians and a wonderful stand alone book as well. The content is rich, and Mr. O'Connell's writing style draws you in and won't let you put it down until the end.

Robert O'Connell starts the book off with a summary of human warfare and how it evolved over the centuries. The beginning has a start-stop pace, throwing out interesting facts and then boring you with too much detail, which lead me to a...

United States on May 20, 2011

Guy Tidwell: I think this fascinating book sheds new light on the cultural and political contexts that motivated the actions of both Carthage and Rome. I feel the book drags just a bit near the end. However, O'Connell's insightful deductive reasoning more than makes up for this minor fault. Sure, he uses good background resources - but that is common and does not define why this book is so good. For example, his reading of Hannibal's motives based on the influence of Greek military tradition is excellent. O'Connell's analysis of the two leading Roman historians, Livy and Polybius, is excellent and he often pits one against the other, and sometimes uses historical evidence to challenge their conclusions, for example, when it comes to analyzing why Hannibal made some of his important decisions. His deductive reasoning is exemplary and examines the multiplicity of factors driving key figures such as Hannibal and near the end, Scipio. O'Connell's analysis of the conditions that likely affected the individual Roman soldier during the battle of Cannae is insightful, and when considered by the reader, terribly gruesome and fascinating at the same time.

Some criticize the scope of the work,...

United States on Mar 06, 2011

CFive: Basically this tells the story of the 2nd Punic war primarily from the standpoint of Hannibal and events in Italy, although the events in other theatres, Spain and Africa are broad-brush mentioned.

I must admit to some concerns when I found that Mr O'Connell was American. Based on my very limited experience in that field I find that American historians seem either to fit within the school of awe (just read some of the books that cover the American civil war), or, within the Mary Beard school of pronouncements from on high complete with sound bites(as do most British historians I'm familiar with). Mr O'Connell does not, he writes with a clear and penetrating style that one cannot help but both learn from and feel that the insights afforded are theirs alone. In short he's of the same school as John R. Hale and Garrett Mattingly, very, very good indeed.

The book (CD) starts with Hannibal's march toward the Alps and finishes at Zarma. It's brilliantly written and the battle scenes are `superb', the description of Cannae in particular is harrowing. Told as it is I `think' I know why Hannibal didn't move on Rome straight away, it must have been the sheer numbness brought...

United Kingdom on Nov 10, 2010