"This authoritative biography brings to life one of the great commanders of the ancient world, Hannibal Barca of Carthage, who crossed the Alps with his war elephants to invade Italy and brought Rome to its knees. In the third century BCE, Carthage was the great mercantile power of the Mediterranean world, with colonies from Spain to Sicily. When the increasingly powerful Roman Republic challenged Carthage for primacy in the Mediterranean, Carthage's leading general, Hannibal, took the fight to Rome. After crossing from North Africa into Spain, he fought his way through southern Spain and Gaul (today's France), then crossed the Alps in a mighty feat of military daring. Defeating all the Roman armies that were sent to stop him, he threatened Rome itself. But after years of warfare, Hannibal's forces were depleted, and he was eventually forced to return to Carthage. Rome's most brilliant general, Scipio, having studied Hannibal's tactics, invaded Carthage and, in one of the epic battles of the ancient world, defeated Hannibal. To this day Hannibal is regarded as a military genius. Napoleon, George Patton, and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. are only some of the generals who studied and admired him. His strategy and tactics are still taught in military academies. Along with Alexander and Caesar, he is regarded as one of the great generals of antiquity. Patrick N. Hunt's Hannibal does full justice to this fascinating and formidable paragon of ancient warfare."--Jacket.

The vow -- Young Hannibal -- Spain -- Saguntum -- Over the Pyrenees -- Crossing the Rhone -- Gateway to the Alps -- The second ambush -- Summit of the Alps -- Ticinus -- Trebia -- The apennines and the Arno Marshes -- Trasimene -- Fabius Maximus and escape -- Cannae -- The campaign for south Italy -- The march on Rome -- War in Spain -- Scipio captures Cartagena -- Metaurus -- Roman triumph, Italy to Spain -- Zama -- Exile -- Hannibal's legacy.