In 202 BC, near the North African city of Zama, the armies of two empires clashed. The Romans under Scipio Africanus won a bloody, decisive victory over Hannibal's Carthaginians. Scipio's victory signalled a shift in the balance of power in the ancient world. Thereafter, Rome became the dominant civilization of the Mediterranean. Zama also saw the eclipse of one legendary commander, Hannibal, the scourge of Rome and the preeminent general of the Second Punic War, by Scipio, one of the greatest leaders Rome ever produced. Brian Todd Carey's compelling, original reconstruction of the battle, the grueling skirmishes that led up to it, and its aftermath—including Hannibal's exile and suicide, Scipio's triumph, and the epic Roman siege that destroyed Carthage forever as a Mediterranean power— gives a fascinating insight into the Carthaginian and Roman methods of waging war. In addition to discussing the military organization and equipment and the tactics the armies employed, the book examines the lives and military careers of Hannibal and Scipio and offers critical assessment of their contrasting leadership styles. Carey's concise account of this climactic confrontation at Zama—a pivotal episode in ancient warfare—is complemented by the detailed maps of cartographers Joshua B. Allfree and John Cairns. Hannibal's Last Battle: Zama and the Fall of Carthage will appeal to readers of military history and is an essential text for all students of the classical period.
BRIAN TODD CAREY teaches history at the American Military University. He is author of Warfare in the Ancient World and Warfare in the Medieval World
AUTHOR--Brian Todd Carey is an Assistant Professor of History and Military History at the American Public University System, where he teaches ancient, classical, medieval and early modern military history. He is the author of dozens of history articles in numerous magazines and journals, including Aviation History, Command Magazine, History Magazine, Marine Corps Gazette, Medieval History Magazine, Military Heritage, Military History, Strategy and Tactics, World History Bulletin, World at War, World War II, and WWII Quarterly: The Journal of the Second World War and seventeen articles on ancient, classical and medieval Eurasian warfare for the twenty-one volume ABC-CLIO-World History Encyclopedia. In 2007 he was the recipient of the American Public University System's Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award for the School of Arts and Humanities. He is the author of Warfare in the Ancient World, Warfare in the Medieval World, Hannibal's last Battle: Zama and the Fall of Carthage, and Road to Manzikert: Byzantine and Islamic Warfare, 527-1071.
TACTICAL/STRATEGIC MAP ILLUSTRATOR--Joshua B. Allfree is a US Army Sergeant Major currently serving as a recruiting information technology program manager at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He has over thirty years of military experience divided between the combat arms and recruiting systems and operations. He holds a BA in world military history from American Military University, a MS in applied information technology from Bellarmine University, and several professional certifications in project management, network engineering, and IT service management.
REGIONAL MAP ILLUSTRATOR--John Cairns is a professional software developer with eighteen years of industry experience. His special emphasis on computer cartography includes the development of the mapping system used on a popular travel site. John is a proud husband and father who enjoys the many flavors of living in the Chicago area.
