Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory (Phoenix Press) [Paperback]

Adrian Goldsworthy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Phoenix Press | Publication Date: July 1, 2007

On August 2, 216 BC, in the Italian town of Cannae, Hannibal won his greatest victory against the Romans—and for centuries after, it became a perfectly executed model that generals everywhere drew on. Using primary sources and brilliant images, Goldsworthy tells the story of this epic confrontation and its devastating tactics. “An excellent addition to scholarship on the Second Punic War... Lavishly illustrated, engagingly written [it] will appeal to readers at all levels.”—Choice.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Adrian Goldsworthy has a doctorate from Oxford University. His first book, THE ROMAN ARMY AT WAR was recognised by John Keegan, the general Editor of The History of Warfare series, as an exceptionally impressive work, original in treatment and impressive in style. His other books include THE FALL OF CARTHAGE, and the volume on Roman Warfare in John Keegan's Cassell History of Warfare series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753822598
• ISBN-13: 978-0753822593
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.2 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent summary of Hanibal's greatest feat, August 29, 2007

By 

lordhoot "lordhoot" (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory (Phoenix Press) (Paperback)

Cannae by Adrian Goldsworthy proves to be an excellent book on the one of the greatest tactical victories achieved in military history and one of the greatest defeats ever inflicted on a Roman army of any age. The book proves to be well written, well researched and well presented. The author covers the Second Punic War up to Cannae very well and his narrative proves to be easy to read and understand.

When the author get to the campaign and battle of Cannae, the reader will be led step by step on how the campaign unfolded and once battle was given, how it came to be. All of it proves to be well concieved and thought out. The author appears to blamed the defeat much on lack of Roman experiences and training as well as Hannibal's tactical expertise. He was able to my satisfaction, pin point the exact location of the battle and determined that Roman's acceptance of the battle wasn't neither foolish or doomed. Romans had a chance to win, this was no foregone conclusion.

Best thing about the book is the ease of reading, many clear and colorful maps that make the battle easy to understand and the author's clear understanding of the events, forces and people involved that make it easy for him to convey the necessary information to his readers. Author also point out the influence this battle had since it was fought and how many generals since Cannae, tried to emulate Hannibal's success on their own level. (Although the author didn't point this out, I thought Battle of Cowpen fought during the American Revolution is a perfect example of Cannae done to perfection.)

This book appears to be a new edition of the earlier book by the same title. I haven't read the earlier book but after reading couple of Amazon reviews on it, I believed that one of the major changes the author made in this edition was that he totally abandoned SLA Marshall's approach on unit participation theory - theory as written in one review, have been discredited by most modern historians of all ranks. No where in this book is this theory been referred or even mentioned.

Adrian Goldsworthy is one of the premier authorities on the Roman military history at this persent time and this book would be a value addition to anyone whose interest lies in that direction.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book of THE Battle, March 21, 2009

By 

Stuart McCunn (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory (Phoenix Press) (Paperback)

This is the battle. The big one. Rome versus Hannibal. Outnumbered and outmatched he still manages to not only win but inflict a crippling defeat, obliterating the Roman army. And with this book you can find out why. Well researched and well presented, this book will show you as clearly as possible how it happened. The book is filled with useful diagrams and maps to help show the position of the forces at every stage in the battle. This isn't a campaign book where most of the text is occupied with the events leading up to the battle, most of the lead up is rushed through pretty quick to get to the fighting.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Partly a coffee-table book, April 29, 2010

By 

Enjolras (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory (Phoenix Press) (Paperback)

Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory (Phoenix Press) isn't a full-blown history of Cannae and the Second Punic War. Rather, it is history done in a coffee-table book style. The book has dozens of pictures and great maps of the battlefield. The text is a bit dry, but very detailed. I wouldn't recommend this for newcomers to Roman history - Goldsworthy doesn't provide enough historical context for his readers (I might suggest Robert O'Connell's The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic for a more general history). Rather, this book is really for readers who want to get into the details of the battle and some nice photos to help bring the history alive.