Rome... Almighty, arrogant, eternal city. He was created by the gods to rule the whole world, and the peoples of this world exist only to obey Rome. The Roman legions need only appear on the battlefield, and the best fate for the vanquished is to fall at the sacred Roman feet. Who dares to challenge Rome - there are no such people and there cannot be... And suddenly - the enemy is at the gates! Hannibal is at the gate! Rome, the great Rome, is in dire danger!.. Recently, the word “charisma” has become so fashionable that frequent use has erased its true meaning. But speaking about Hannibal (247-183 BC), you can’t say otherwise - he was incredibly, fantastically charismatic. The definition of an ideal commander is the image of Hannibal, and few in the history of mankind, from hoary antiquity to the present day, can compare with this great Phoenician. Hannibal at a young age in front of the sacrificial altar in the presence of his father, the brave warrior Hamilcar Barca, vowed for life remain an implacable enemy of Rome. Then he had not yet become a great commander, but was already a Carthaginian. He was very young when he won his first big victories. Hannibal is called the “father of strategy” - and deservedly so: he was the first to fight in accordance with the famous principle: “Win not by numbers, but by skill.” Surprise, bold maneuver, concern for the rear, careful organization of reconnaissance, knowledge of the enemy and the ability to use his weaknesses - these are the foundations of military art for all times, and they were laid by Hannibal. He, the commander of the army, was no different from a simple soldier in everyday life, he drank and ate as much as the body required, and not for pleasure. He, being burdened with military and government concerns, found time to engage in science and writing. And when circumstances developed in such a way that there was no other way out, he did what a great warrior had to do according to the unwritten laws of that time. He left as he lived - as a great commander and a great man...Electronic publication of materials from the life and work of Hannibal includes the full text of the paper book and a selected part of the illustrative material. And for true connoisseurs of gift editions, we offer a classic book. Like all publications in the “Great Commanders” series, the book is provided with detailed historical and biographical comments; The text is accompanied by hundreds of rare illustrations from Russian and foreign sources, many of which the modern reader will become familiar with for the first time. Beautiful printing, original design, the best offset paper - all this makes the books of the “Great Commanders” gift series the best gift for a man for all occasions.