Professor of history and classics Barry Strauss finds lessons in the examples set by three great but flawed military leaders in his new book, "Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership."

Strauss compares these three generals of the ancient world, how they waged war, and how and why they succeeded and failed. He also points out lessons in strategic thinking that can be drawn from their experiences as battlefield tacticians and as statesmen and leaders, showing what they can teach us today about ambition, leadership, branding and more.

Strauss used surviving written documents and archaeological evidence and traveled to Italy, France, Greece, Turkey and Tunisia as part of his research, following in the footsteps of Hannibal, Alexander and Caesar.

"Masters of Command" will be published May 1 by Simon and Schuster as a hardcover and e-book.

Strauss has written six books and co-edited two others; his works of military history also include "The Spartacus War" (2009), "The Trojan War: A New History" (2006) and "The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece -- and Western Civilization" (2004).

He chairs the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences and is the former director of Cornell's Peace Studies Program and current director of the Program on Freedom and Free Societies, which he helped found.

The author will discuss "Masters of Command" May 1 at 4 p.m. in Olin Library 106. Free and open to the public. Following his talk, Strauss will lead a question-and-answer session, and books will be available for purchase and signing.

On June 6 at noon, he will discuss the three generals at 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson St. in New York City. A roundtable lunch discussion with Strauss will follow his talk. More information is available online.

For information about Strauss, visit http://barrystrauss.com/.