{"product_id":"the-ghosts-of-cannae-hannibal-and-the-darkest-hour-of-the-roman-republic","title":"The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic","description":"\u003cp\u003eA stirring account of the most influential battle in history  For millennia  Carthages triumph over Rome at Cannae in 216 B.C. has inspired reverence and awe. It was the battle that countless armies tried to imitate  most notably in World Wars I and II  the battle that obsessed legendary military minds. Yet no general ever matched Hannibals most unexpected  innovative  and brutal military victorythe costliest day of combat for any army in history. Robert L. OConnell  one of the most admired names in military history  now tells the whole story of Cannae for the first time  giving us a stirring account of this apocalyptic battle of the Second Punic War  and its causes and consequences.  OConnell shows how a restive Rome amassed a giant army to punish Carthages masterful commander  who had dealt them deadly blows at Trebia and Lake Trasimene  and how Hannibal outwitted enemies that outnumbered him. OConnell describes Hannibals strategy of blinding his opponents with sun and dust  enveloping them in a deadly embrace and sealing their escape  before launching a massive knife fight that would kill 48 000 men in close contact. The Ghosts of Cannae then brilliantly conveys how this disastrous pivot point in Romes history ultimately led to the republics resurgence and the creation of its empire.  Piecing together decayed shreds of ancient reportage  the author paints powerful portraits of the leading players: Hannibal  resolutely sane and uncannily strategic; Varro  Romes co-consul who was so scapegoated for the loss; and Scipio Africanus  the surviving (and self-promoting) Roman military tribune who would one day pay back Hannibal at Zama in North Africa. Finally  OConnell reveals how Cannaes legend has inspired and haunted military leaders ever since  and the lessons it teaches for our own wars.  Superbly researched and written with wit and erudition  The Ghosts of Cannae is the definitive account of a battle whose history continues to resonate.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44985186877493,"sku":"ByrdShop_1400067022","price":28.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781400067022.jpg?v=1770851115","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-ghosts-of-cannae-hannibal-and-the-darkest-hour-of-the-roman-republic","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}