Cannae: Hannibal's Greatest Victory

Cassell's Fields of Battle

by Adrian Goldsworthy

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.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Roman History, Military History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

About the author

Adrian Goldsworthy, born in 1969, is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including biographies of Julius Caesar and Augustus. He lectures widely and consults on historical documentaries for the History Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. He lives in the UK.

Reviews

[Larry (LPosse1) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine little book with a limited focus on one part of the Punic War. Not my favorite of the books on this section of Roman History. I recommend Dr Goldsworthy’s monster The Punic Wars, this is a nice condensed volume. Great focus on its name sake battle. He always writes with much gravitas!

[Minglu Jiang]

Maybe I'm just a nerd, but this was riveting. I meant to take notes while I read this, but that didn't happen because I somehow got caught up in the narrative, which honestly? For the most part is just Goldsworthy discussing equipment, what ancient warfare generally looked like, where exactly the battlefield was.

And yet, he somehow manages to make it an absolutely compelling account.

[Artemis Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quintus Fabius Maximus. The great general who fought in the first and second punic wars. He faced of against the mighty Carthaginian general Hannibal. He is known as " the deyelar " because he did not face Hannibal in battle right away. Which was different to what Rome was accustomed too. He wisely waited this the Roman Army was better prepared to engage in battle. He was honored my his descendants. I name my oldest Maximus after this great general. As always Adrian Goldsworthy writes amazing books!

[Gene Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done popular history. Focuses early on with the problems with our two primary sources, Livy and Polybius, and soldiers on, comparing and contrasting the two. Many times it's said we can't really know, but here's what I think happened and why. It doesn't take much to get me thinking about ancient battles and such and there's some delicious food for thought here.

[LockedIn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief yet very informative overview of the battle of Cannae, Hannibal's masterpiece. Goldsworthy does a fantastic job placing the battle in its historical context, with plenty of background information on the first and second Punic wars as well as a very informative chapter on roman warfare. I was pleasantly surprised with the chapter discussing and contrasting the two main sources used for this period of history: ancient historians Polybius and Livy. However, the battle itself is dealt with only very briefly, and very little time is spent on later developments.

Ultimately, this is best read as a companion to Goldsworthy's The Fall of Carthage.

[Herman De Wulf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Het moet toch wat moeite gekost hebben om bijna 200 bladzijden vol te schrijven over een feit waarover niet zoveel bekend is. Zelfs al is de spatiëring ruim, toch heb ik de indruk dat met de helft minder ook alles gezegd kon worden. Is dit dan wel een boek voor een doorsnee amateur geschiedkundige? Het hoofdstuk 4 over de slag zelf heeft het bijvoorbeeld vooral over aantallen, samenstellingen, berekeningen, bedenkingen waar je potlood en papier moet bij hebben om alles te kunnen bijhouden en volgen.

Positief zijn de eenvoudige zinnen die het boek nog enigszins leesbaar houden en waarmee het boek zijn tweede * verdient.

[Zac Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth analysis of the most famous battle of the Punic wars! Goldsworthy covered all angles of the battle, interpreted the sources, and explained what more modern commentators theorized could have happened where we have any absences from Polybius or Livy. Understanding the formation and background of why Hannibal set his troops up this way was something that most other history books wouldn't cover as profusely. A bonus was the coverage on how soldiers fought, with the most aggressive soldiers being responsible for the vast majority of casualties (and fatalities in winning armies).

[Jeff Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Technical and meticulous description of the battle of Cannae

Goldsworthy provides a technical commentary on the Cannae battle. Patrick Hunt’s and Richard Gabriel’s accounts of Hannibal are suggested accompanying volumes. It does get meticulous, however, with good writing, Goldsworthy does not let things get bogged down.

[Joe Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best military history books I've read & I'm a certified military history instructor who has read many. I recommend this to all military officers who want a simple to understand book on one of the most decisive battles of all time and why it didn't win the war.

[Tzu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I enjoyed this so much I finished most of it in just one day!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good short account of one of the greatest battles of the ancient world. Goldsworthy combines an excellent narrative with solidly reasoned, succinctly and lucidly explained analysis of thorny issues (e.g. the exact makeup of Hannibal’s army, the precise location of the battlefield on the plain of the Aufidius, the numbers involved on both sides, etc). A brisk but well researched read.

Includes some good appendices that look at the chronology of the campaign of 216 BC, the numbers, and known participants—both survivors and slain—based on our two most important sources, Polybius and Livy.

Highly recommended.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buy.

The definitive history of one of history's most interesting and decisive, if not consequential, battles. a must read to understand Rome and the Rome to come.

[Christopher Cerone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goldsworthy pithily describes and expertly assesses the Battle of Cannae during the second Punic War, piecing together various second and third hand accounts along with other clues from soldiers’ remains. This battle, in which the Romans with a huge numbers advantage were defeated by the Carthaginians led by Hannibal, involved massive carnage, i.e., some 50,000 men killed including 1/3 of the Roman Senate. Lessons from this battle abound. Never be overconfident like the larger Roman army. Don’t be hasty as the Romans were, still smarting from earlier defeats at Trebia and Trasimene and eager to exact revenge against Hannibal’s troops. Seasoned forces adeptly led can shine against larger forces comprising lesser troops. There is also no substitute for battlefield intelligence and a sound strategy centered on using the enemy’s strength against them, as Hannibal demonstrated convincingly during the battle. For the victor Hannibal, his hesitation after a decisive victory cost him a chance to take Rome and win the war. His failure to recall these lessons also led to his punishing defeat at the end of the war in Zama at the hands of a smaller yet highly trained and battle-tested Roman army. This is a fascinating, quick read about one of the great battles of all time to be enjoyed by avid military history buffs and non-military history buffs alike.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, but interesting. Goldsworthy clearly articulates how he reaches his conclusions. He doesn't get too bogged down about how he parses biased Roman historians, limited archaeological evidence, modern experiments with ancient weapons technology, and even references to studies of the psychology of modern warfare. But you are left with a superficial understanding of how these things have informed his narrative, and he provides robust appendices/bibliography to further satisfy your curiosity.

It is a battle of which I knew of only vaguely, but am glad to know more about it, to include its wider context. A couple quotes that will stick with me:

"The scale of the losses at Cannae was unrivalled until the industrialised slaughter of the First World War." (Referring to the Somme, World War One)

"Truly the gods do not give everything to the same man: you know how to win a victory, Hannibal, but you do not know how to use one." (Livy on Hannibal not seizing Rome in the immediate aftermath; not considered entirely credible by Goldsworthy)

"Any other state in the classical world would surely have sought peace after a defeat on the scale of Cannae." (On Rome's resiliency and ability to outlast a series of dominating defeats.)

[James Varney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, focused account of Cannae. The best thing about the book is Goldsworthy's sifting of accounts, and then applying modern understanding of what combat is like. He essentially takes the approach to military history promulgated by John Keegan's "The Face of Battle" and applies it to ancient warfare - in this case, the Second Punic War and Hannibal's most famous battle. Indeed, I could see this being a chapter of "The Face of Battle."

"Cannae" did help me visualize the battle more than any other account. That's a mixed blessing, giving the carnage on the field, which of course figures in Goldsworthy's account. Just where the precise battlefield was located has been a matter of debate over the centuries, but that's another knot that Goldsworthy unravels well.

It's remarkable Hannibal wins such huge victories at Lake Trasimene and then Cannae (the latter in 216 BC) but never closed the deal and wound up losing the war. But Goldsworthy is not concerned with that final outcome here, except in how it reflects the indomitable (or stubborn or pig-headed, depending on your view) Roman spirit.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient battles are mentioned in the history books but with minimal detail. They occurred, someone won, and we move on. The Battle of Cannae is the exception to this. Modern military schools, study in depth this battle, and generals everywhere dream of pulling a Cannae off. Adrian Goldsworthy gives an in-depth look, though it is not an overly long book, in clear prose to describe the rise of Hannibal, the politics of the Republic of Rome, the causes of the Second Punic War, and of course the battle itself. This book is a must read for anyone interested in Roman history, and for anyone pursuing military studies. For the casual reader, it offers insight into a different time and the personalities that shaped that time.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannae is perhaps the most studied battle in world history because it featured the near impossible: envelopment and destruction of a larger force by a smaller one. Plus, the number of Romans who died on this one day in 216 BC may have exceeded all Americans killed in the entire Vietnam War.

Goldsworthy (b. 1969), an academically trained professional writer, provides clear description of what is known for certain about the battle and shrewd guesses about what will never be known about it. Especially helpful in this well-illustrated book are the fine four-color maps of battle positions and Goldworthy’s convincing conjecture about the exact location of the battlefield.

[Mike O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right off the bat, I’m an Adrian Goldworthy fan. His style is informative without being professorial or written for an ignorant audience. This book covers the events leading up to one of the largest battles, in the smallest area, in history. The campaign is still taught at military academies, and while it was decisive operationally, it wasn’t decisive in the strategic sense.

There are a reasonable number of maps, four, a lot of background, plenty of information, including alternative ideas as to the location and progress of the battle, and it’s after effects. Honestly, it reads like an in depth but lacking in color version of an Osprey Campaign book. I still highly recommend it, but I can’t see how, with hindsight, any wargame, other than a solitaire game, could be done on the battle. The average wargamer, as the Romans, isn’t going to allow themselves to be funneled into a choke point where their advantage in heavy infantry isn’t going to come into play.

[Jan Peter van Kempen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of what happened on 2 August 216BC. The battle could actually have been won by the Romans... And the 2nd Punic could actually have been won by Hannibal. History proved otherwise. A very interesting book which highlights the military side of the battle at Cannae.

[Timothy Wattigny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a certified military historian. I am simply a fan of Mr. Goldsworthy's lucid prose. It's staggering to realise that the number of soldiers killed in this one day battle was not exceeded until the battle of the Somme roughly 2 millenia later.

[Alan Debban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough, well researched book. This book is probably best read in hardcopy, as the maps are difficult to interpret on a Kindle. As usual with military histories, the more maps the better!

[Nick Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but great overview of one of the most devastating periods of Roman history and the brilliance of Hannibal. Really enjoyed it.

[peter lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening

When I read a history book the most important thing is what did I learn. In this case quite a lot, his description of the way combat was fought is fascinating

[Strick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad

[Lenno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goede uiteenzetting van de slag bij cannea

[Joseph Noun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good details of this classical arch battle of annihilation

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on the research of ancient literature and anthropology. Insights into ancient Mediterranean society. Sort of a who-did-it solving the mystery of what actually happened

[Jeff Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, short description of this monumental battle with some color on the circumstances which led to it, and the impact it had.

[Halli Borgfjord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recount of Cannae. Doesn’t get too dry and really puts ancient war into perspective. I also like Goldsworthy’s other works.

[Levi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about on of the most studied battles of the ancient world: Cannae.