Dominic Sandbrook

It was. And for as long as their empire endured, Roman historians who wanted to emphasize some particular shattering defeat would say, oh, this was the worst day ever, except for Cannae. And they would always acknowledge that even the worst defeat wasn't as terrible as Cannae had been.

It was. And for as long as their empire endured, Roman historians who wanted to emphasize some particular shattering defeat would say, oh, this was the worst day ever, except for Cannae. And they would always acknowledge that even the worst defeat wasn't as terrible as Cannae had been.

It was. And for as long as their empire endured, Roman historians who wanted to emphasize some particular shattering defeat would say, oh, this was the worst day ever, except for Cannae. And they would always acknowledge that even the worst defeat wasn't as terrible as Cannae had been.

And I think what is fascinating is that modern historians as well have been kind of equally fascinated by the scale of the slaughter that was inflicted on Rome on that terrible day. So there are two really excellent studies of this battle. One by Greg Daly, Can I? The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War.

And I think what is fascinating is that modern historians as well have been kind of equally fascinated by the scale of the slaughter that was inflicted on Rome on that terrible day. So there are two really excellent studies of this battle. One by Greg Daly, Can I? The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War.

And I think what is fascinating is that modern historians as well have been kind of equally fascinated by the scale of the slaughter that was inflicted on Rome on that terrible day. So there are two really excellent studies of this battle. One by Greg Daly, Can I? The Experience of Battle in the Second Punic War.

He writes, very striking fact, that there were more Romans and Italians killed in one day of fighting at Cannae than Americans killed in combat during the whole Vietnam War.

He writes, very striking fact, that there were more Romans and Italians killed in one day of fighting at Cannae than Americans killed in combat during the whole Vietnam War.

He writes, very striking fact, that there were more Romans and Italians killed in one day of fighting at Cannae than Americans killed in combat during the whole Vietnam War.

I mean, that's an amazing stat. And then Adrian Goldsworthy, who is essentially what my brother is to the Second World War. He is to the Roman army. I mean, he is the goat on this. And he wrote an excellent book on Cannae as well. And it has an introduction from Richard Holmes, you know, the great military historian.

I mean, that's an amazing stat. And then Adrian Goldsworthy, who is essentially what my brother is to the Second World War. He is to the Roman army. I mean, he is the goat on this. And he wrote an excellent book on Cannae as well. And it has an introduction from Richard Holmes, you know, the great military historian.

I mean, that's an amazing stat. And then Adrian Goldsworthy, who is essentially what my brother is to the Second World War. He is to the Roman army. I mean, he is the goat on this. And he wrote an excellent book on Cannae as well. And it has an introduction from Richard Holmes, you know, the great military historian.

And Richard Holmes writes, the Romans lost more men killed than the British army on the first day of the Somme in 1916. Which I guess for British people is always the measuring stick of pointless slaughter, isn't it?

And Richard Holmes writes, the Romans lost more men killed than the British army on the first day of the Somme in 1916. Which I guess for British people is always the measuring stick of pointless slaughter, isn't it?

And Richard Holmes writes, the Romans lost more men killed than the British army on the first day of the Somme in 1916. Which I guess for British people is always the measuring stick of pointless slaughter, isn't it?

Yeah, exactly. It is the absolute archetype of a vastly outnumbered force annihilating a much superior one. And it's for that reason, I think, as Greg Daly puts it in his book, that Cannae may be the most studied battle in history. Because obviously, if you can distill the elixir...

Yeah, exactly. It is the absolute archetype of a vastly outnumbered force annihilating a much superior one. And it's for that reason, I think, as Greg Daly puts it in his book, that Cannae may be the most studied battle in history. Because obviously, if you can distill the elixir...

Yeah, exactly. It is the absolute archetype of a vastly outnumbered force annihilating a much superior one. And it's for that reason, I think, as Greg Daly puts it in his book, that Cannae may be the most studied battle in history. Because obviously, if you can distill the elixir...

If you can work out the formula that Hannibal applied, then hopefully you can apply that to your own age and win similarly stunning victories. And I mean, you'll know this, Dominic, as a student historian of the First World War.

If you can work out the formula that Hannibal applied, then hopefully you can apply that to your own age and win similarly stunning victories. And I mean, you'll know this, Dominic, as a student historian of the First World War.