Brecon of the Leopard's Skin was scarcely more than a boy when he was sent as a hostage from Spain to the armies of Lord Hannibal, the Thunderbolt of Carthage; but soon he fell under the spell of the remarkable general who for more than twenty years kept the Roman legions at bay.

Brecon followed him over the alps, treacherous with snow and hostile tribes, and on to the plains of Italy, where the swift Numidian horsemen and terrifying elephants put the proud Romans to flight.

As the months of campaigning stretched to years, Brecon saw more and more of the Roman World, traveling in various disguises as a spy for Hannibal to Tarentum, Syracuse, and from time to time to the gleaming city of Carthage itself. Sometimes he was a young peddler from Gaul, or perhaps a barber's assistance at Rome, or sometimes a tutor to a rich Roman family.

Through Brecon and those he comes to know and love, the Punic War takes shape and meaning; the pageant of the ancient world springs to life. Here is the tang of battle, the crisp friendliness of the Carthaginian camp, the gaudy street life of Rome, the bustling Mediterranean ports, the humble farms and rich country estates of Italy.

And always dominating the scene is Hannibal himself -- the skilled tactician, the tenacious enemy of Rome, a hero to his troops, a loving father to his household.

Mrs. Kent has a special talent for weaving an exciting narrative into the fabric of history itself. Research, story-telling, and vigorous characterization here combine to make a splendid historical novel.

From the dust jacket