Hannibal's battle plan at Cannae became the mother of all great battle strategies—the first battle of encirclement that has been imitated (often to disastrous effect) endlessly over the past two thousand years. In this brilliant, long-overdue, and beautifully written account, Robert L. O'Connell gives listeners an epic account of one of the most dramatic battles of antiquity. The Ghosts of Cannae is at once a book about a specific battle (the massive defeat of a huge but inexperienced Roman army in southern Italy by Hannibal in 216 BC) but also an interpretation of the larger course of the Second Punic War, as well as an assessment of the historical impact of Rome's storied rivalry with Carthage. What ties the book together is the fate of the survivors, their treatment by the authorities in Rome, and ultimately their vindication nearly two decades later, when they defeated Hannibal at the decisive battle of Zama in North Africa. With an unforgettable cast of heroes and villains, The Ghosts of Cannae is history at its finest.
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"A fascinating history of the greatest battle of annihilation and its aftermath. The battle was Cannae, where a Carthaginian army of about 50,000 soldiers defeated a better-equipped Roman army of 80,000, killing over 7/8 of the Romaan soldiers in the process. It was the high-water mark of Carthaginian military might, but turned in to the ultimate Pyhrric victory. The Carthaginian general Hannibal failed to follow up on the triumph by marching on Rome, the Romans raised another army, and Hannibal never again was able to threaten Rome's existence, though he did continue to operate in Italy for a number of years. Rome developed a deep-seated fear and hatred of Carthage after its epic defeat, which ultimately led to the total destruction of Carthage after the Third Punic War." — John (5 out of 5 stars)
"A fascinating history of the greatest battle of annihilation and its aftermath. The battle was Cannae, where a Carthaginian army of about 50,000 soldiers defeated a better-equipped Roman army of 80,000, killing over 7/8 of the Romaan soldiers in the process. It was the high-water mark of Carthaginian military might, but turned in to the ultimate Pyhrric victory. The Carthaginian general Hannibal failed to follow up on the triumph by marching on Rome, the Romans raised another army, and Hannibal never again was able to threaten Rome's existence, though he did continue to operate in Italy for a number of years. Rome developed a deep-seated fear and hatred of Carthage after its epic defeat, which ultimately led to the total destruction of Carthage after the Third Punic War."
“The distinctive edge of The Ghosts of Cannae is Robert L. O’Connell’s consistently professional instinct for the behavior of men and units on the battlefield.”
“Sklar’s gravelly bass, its tone never far from irony, suits this reconsideration of the decades of struggle between the Roman Republic and Hannibal Barca.”
“O’Connell’s examination is thoughtful and in-depth.”
“Sklar’s engaging and witty narration complements this well-researched and well-written work recommended for all those interested in Roman and military history.”
“A masterpiece of style, imagination, and erudition.”
A masterpiece of style, imagination, and erudition.
" The author does not know how to use the words "proverbial" or "literally,"but apart from that, it's an engrossing and critical look at Rome and Carthage. "
" Good book about Hannibal and the 2nd Punic war with Rome. Interesting insights into battle formations and strategies. "
" Really good look at the battles between Hannibal and Rome. A lot of interesting context about both Rome and Carthage. You're guaranteed to like this if you're a Roman history nerd, and if not you'll probably like it anyway, just a bit less. "
" A well written look into the crisis that was Hannibal for the Roman Republic. A good history well told. "
" O'Connell did an excellent job of creating a narrative from incomplete and biased sources without attempting to hide the shortcomings of those sources. He also put the battle which forms the centerpiece of the book into its historical context in such a way that made his conjectures about its effects on the development of the later Roman Empire quite plausible. I enjoyed his comparisons of the Punic Wars to modern historical events and found the book well written and a pleasure to read. "
" I pre-read this book as a service to my son who received it for Christmas. It is full of life-giving minutia and also many handy facts about Hannibal and how the Romans set their battle plans. But there was something about this writer's style that tired me out. It was sort of cinematic. "
" I'm a sucker for these big battles from history stories. The battle itself takes very little, the buildup, the aftermath, the coincidences, and the politics are engrossing. "
" I was turned onto this book by Bill Davis. If you're a history buff, this is a wonderful non-fiction about the greatest general of all time, Hannibal and the reasons why Romans sowed salt in the fields of Carthage. "
" A very readable account of the battle of Cannae, and indeed of the Second Punic War. I really enjoyed it "
" "Outstanding writing and analysis." "
" One of the best book I've ever read on Hannibal the Hun. "
" Good not great book, meticulously researched, a little too much time spent on the "ghosts" metaphor. "
" Very well written book. O'Connell has a dry sense of humor that enlivens the book. "
" This is a great book about Rome and Hannibal. "
" The first 100 pages felt like a reading assignment but it picked up after that. If you have more than a passing interest in military strategy and ancient Rome you will enjoy this book about a seminal military battle. "
" Exciting and informative. Hannibal and Scipio Africanus pop off the page in this badass piece of academic military history. "
" I like all things Roman history. This was a really interesting history focused on Hannibal's terrorizing of Italy, the peak of which was the battle of Cannae and the aftermath of that battle. I enjoyed this a great deal. "
Robert L. O’Connell received a PhD in history at the University of Virginia and spent thirty years as a senior analyst at the National Ground Intelligence Center. He is presently a visiting professor at the Naval Postgraduate School and was a contributing editor to MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History. He is the author of numerous books, including The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic; Of Arms and Men: A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression; and Soul of the Sword: An Illustrated History of Weaponry and Warfare from Prehistory to the Present.
Alan Sklar, a graduate of Dartmouth, has excelled in his career as a freelance voice actor. Named a Best Voice of 2009 by AudioFile magazine, his work has earned him several Earphones Awards, a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award (twice), a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and Audiobook of the Year by ForeWord magazine. He has also narrated thousands of corporate videos for clients such as NASA, Sikorsky Aircraft, IBM, Dannon, Pfizer, AT&T, and SONY.
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