From the #1 bestselling author of The Crusades and the Soldiers of the Cross comes an exciting new book on the greatest minds of military leadership in history.
Whether it is Hannibal of Carthage marching elephants across the Alps and attacking the heart of Rome, Khalid ibn al-Walid boasting an undefeated military career and destroying the Persian Empire while subduing the Byzantines, or Russian General Alexander Suvurov and his elevation of the bayonet to a weapon that could cut down any European army, great military leaders have exerted tremendous influence on society.
This book will look at the lives and leadership styles of the ten greatest military commanders in history. Some conquered the fullest expanse of the known world, as did Alexander the Great. Still others were master statesmen and capable of translating military victory into long-term political gains, such as Julius Caesar, whose vanquishing of the Gauls and his political opponents laid the groundwork for several centuries of unmatchable Roman imperial might.
It will also look at the tactics they used to bring down stronger armies and befuddle them at every turn; whether it is Napoleon, who nearly conquered Europe through his ability to unexpectedly march away from the enemy's main strength and concentrating on a weak but vital enemy point; or Hannibal's double entrapment maneuver, which has been the envy of military strategists for the last 2,000 years.
Whatever their background, these rulers show that the right military commander at the right time in history can destroy an empire, change civilization, and alter the course of world history forever.
Since it's premier in October 2013, "History's Greatest Generals" peaked at #1,200 in the Amazon store. It has sold thousands of copies in the military strategy and biography:military sections of Amazon. Furthermore, the book has continued to register strong sales in the last several months, suggesting it has good staying power. The figures under consideration in this book mostly hail from Europe, suggesting this book will do well in European markets.
Chapter 2: Hannibal of Carthage (247-182 B.C.):The Father of Strategy and the Bane of the Roman Republic
The most feared enemy of ancient Rome grew up in a culture of death. Hannibal Barca, whose name in Punic meant "Baal is merciful to me,” was raised as a worshipper of the ancient Canaanite god that demanded child sacrifice in order to be appeased. When he was seven, Hannibal stood at the edge of a sacrificial fire pit and witnessed his parents hand over his infant sibling to a priest. The robed figured held him before a bronze idol in raised arms. He slit the throat of the child, causing quick death, and placed the body on the outstretched hands of the statue. It remained there for a few moments before sliding into the pyre.
Hannibal's father, Hamilcar Barca, was a Carthaginian commander and leader in the Mercenary War and the Punic conquest of Iberia. He raised his son in the customs of the deeply religious society, founded in 814 B.C. as a Phoenician trading colony. Baal worship was as brutal in the North African society as it had been 1,000 years earlier, when Canaanites slaughtered children by the gross, much to the horror of the ancient Israelites. It was an abominable practice, even by the standards of the late Bronze Age; so much so that in the Old Testament, God ordered Israel's army to completely destroy the civilization of the Baal worshippers upon their entrance into the Holy Land.
The practice, however, continued to thrive in Hannibal's lifetime. Cleitarchus wrote in the third century B.C. that Carthaginian families promised at least one of their children to their gods in order to obtain favor. Plutarch notes that childless couples would purchase children from destitute families as a substitution. Contemporary Romans and Greeks found the practice equally barbaric.
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Paola Vitale
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Author review: This translator was very thorough and did an excellent job. Highly recommended. |
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by Pedro Lourenço dos Reis
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Author review: This translator helped the book become a best-seller. Good work! |
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Miriam Rodríguez Rodrigo
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Author review: A pleasure to work with this translator! |
