Books on leadership, history, and the ancient world

Da Capo • 2018

Hannibal’s Oath

John's latest work on Hannibal that deepens the portrait of one of history’s most formidable and tragic military leaders- the commander who won every battle and lost the war. The book was favorably reviewed in The New York Times.

For readers who want a more focused, character-driven study of Hannibal, this book provides a strong companion to John’s earlier academic work tracing Hannibal’s route over the Alps.

“Here, at last, is a biography worthy of one of history's most fascinating figures... John Prevas’ absorbing masterpiece will grip you from beginning to end.”

Steve Forbes

Random House • 2009

Power Ambition Glory

A New York Times bestseller co-authored with Steve Forbes, comparing leaders from the ancient world with contemporary business figures.

This book broadens John’s previous historical works drawing parallels between ancient rulers and the strengths and failings of modern executives.

“Power Ambition Glory serves as a remarkable historical guide... a fresh look at modern business leaders and how they fit the framework of history.”

From the foreword by Rudy Giuliani

Da Capo • 2004

Envy of the Gods

The unraveling and demise of Alexander the Great in the east, researched through solitary travel in eastern Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan.

In tracing the route of Alexander’s campaigns, John Prevas travelled through eastern Turkey, to the ruins of Persepolis the Persian capital in Iran, over the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan to the Indus River in Pakistan and the farthest reaches of Alexander the Great’s campaign.

“There’s a lesson here for us. And Mr. Prevas’ conclusion sums it up. Alexander’s story ‘validates the axiom that power is a dangerous commodity that must be handled carefully by those who possess it.’”

New York Times

Da Capo • 2002

Xenophon’s March

The story of how ten thousand Spartan mercenaries penetrated the heart of the Persian Empire, proving to the ancient world that Persia was not a feared leviathan. The book is based upon manuscript study and extensive travel through the most remote regions of eastern Turkey to the borders of Syria and Iraq.

The book follows an unthinkable invasion followed by a strategic retreat telling a story not as a distant classroom subject, but as a living route across unforgiving terrain and contested borders.

Da Capo • 2000

Hannibal Crosses the Alps

A reconstruction of Hannibal’s passage across the Alps based on ancient sources, manuscript research in the libraries of Paris, and years of field exploration in the southern French Alps.

John Prevas is widely regarded as one of the leading academic experts on Hannibal, and this book established the method that would define much of his later work: test the manuscript sources against the landscape itself.