It was an era when the West and the East again came together in a bloody battle - this time republican Rome, which already dreamed of an empire, and mighty Carthage, which claimed dominance in the okumen. This was an era when they made history, fought, suffered defeats and defeated such outstanding commanders as Hamilkar Barka, Hannibal, Fabius Kunctator and Scipio, nicknamed African for his achievements. This was the era when Rome was on the verge of collapse, being defeated at Lake Trasimensky and at Cannes - and yet managed to resist and dealt a crushing blow to the triumphant enemy. This is the age of the Punic Wars, coming to life in the pages of David Anthony Durham's monumental novel.