Cannae

In 216 BCE, Hannibal leads a smaller Carthaginian army against the massed legions of the Roman Republic near Cannae. The battle is experienced through soldiers on opposing sides as commanders manoeuvre beneath the summer heat and tens of thousands of men prepare for a confrontation that will decide Rome's immediate survival. The novel recreates the fear, discipline and violence of Hannibal's most famous victory while showing how strategic decisions made above the ranks are endured by those fighting inside the encirclement.