Historian Barry Strauss delves into the personalities and methodologies of Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar, three generals of the ancient world who had to look beyond the battlefield to decide what constitutes victory, when to end the fighting, and how to bring stability to the lands they conquered. These warrior-statesmen, Strauss argues, provide valuable lessons 2,000 years later.

Strauss is professor of history and classics at Cornell University. He has written or edited ten books, most recently The Spartacus War, The Trojan War, The Battle of Salamis, and Masters of Command. He speaks several modern languages in addition to reading ancient Greek and Latin.