Hannibal Barca was an extraordinary military leader and political reformer in the ancient world. His Carthaginian army's march with elephants over the Alps to attack rival Rome in 218 BCE is one of the most daring exploits in world history. Hannibal sacrificed his life to leadership and war, and became such a force in the world's imagination that centuries after his death, Roman mothers would scare their children by threatening, 'Hannibal is at the gates'. His sacrifice of self to a larger cause is still an inspiration today, and his battle plans are studied by modern students of conflict and war. Read in ''Hannibal'' how his personal discipline and charisma remain models for world leadership.