The Ghosts of Cannae

O'Connell (Of Arms and Men) gives a sweeping account of Hannibal's victory over the Romans in the bloody 216 BCE Battle of Cannae, an event of the Second Punic War whose strategy of encirclement has been emulated for centuries. O'Connell tracks the fate of some of the battle's survivors, including Scipio Africanus, Fabius Maximus, and the titular "ghosts of Cannae" (the defeated Roman soldiers), also measuring the historical impact of several factors that eventually led to the conversion of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Multiple Audie Award nominee Alan Sklar's (see Behind the Mike, LJ 3/1/09) engaging and witty narration complements this well-researched and well-written work recommended for all those interested in Roman and military history. [The New York Times best-selling Random hc was described as being "thoughtful," "in-depth," and "accessible" and recommended as "an excellent companion" to books by Adrian Goldsworthy and Gregory Daly on the subject, LJ 7/10.—Ed.]—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.