Book by P.D. Armandi, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, was published by the Librairie d'Amyot in Paris. Dedicated to a rare topic that has not been considered in Russian literature, it is practically unknown to the Russian reader, although it occupies a worthy place among books on military history, as it gives an extensive and thorough overview of the use of elephants in wars. In Europe, elephants first appeared in the army of Alexander the Great after his campaign in India, then they became an important part of the armed forces of the Hellenistic rulers and the Carthaginians. In the II century. BC. The Romans begin to use elephants. Tracing the reasons for victories and defeats in battles involving elephants, the author draws attention to the attitude of different peoples to this military weapon, explaining the differences by ideas about the principles of warfare and the dissimilarity of their worldview. Written with passion and lively, illustrated in detail by the translator, the book may be of interest not only specialists, but also everyone interested in the history and military affairs of the ancient world.