Total War: Rome II will sink players into the dangerous political machinations of Rome’s senate, while asking them to struggle with family dilemmas and question the loyalty of ‘friends’ and allies. Leading the greatest army ever seen into battle will be just one challenge you will face at the head of the world’s first superpower.

Will you help forge an empire? Restore the Republic? Or grasp the reins of power for yourself, and assume the hated title of tyrant? Who will you conquer? Who will you betray? Who will you sacrifice?

How far will you go for Rome?

Working closely with developers at Creative Assembly and calling on his years of experience as a fiction writer and lecturer of history, David Gibbins is creating an original story that will captivate the authenticity, quality and scale of Total War: Rome II.

The story follows Fabius Petronius Secundus – Roman legionary and centurion – and his rise to power; from his first battle against the Macedonians, that seals the fate of Alexander the Great’s Empire, to total war in North Africa and the harrowing events of the Siege of Carthage.

Epic, packed with action, yet remaining character-driven at heart, Destroy Carthage explores how significant the Carthage campaign was on a personal level for each man who made war revealing the importance of loyalty, honour and ambition.

Pan Macmillan along with US sister company, Thomas Dunne Books won the rights in October 2012 to publish a four part series of novels inspired by the award winning, SEGA published, Total War franchise.

“The Total War game series is all about conquering your own personal version of history, in a world we make as authentic to the period as possible,” Rob Bartholomew, Brand Director at Creative Assembly commented.  “David’s novel is a fantastic opportunity to further indulge in the kind of what-if story-telling our players enjoy.”

“It’s been hugely exciting for me to work on this novel.” David Gibbins, bestselling author commented. “The story of Rome’s struggle with Carthage is truly a story of total war, of a conflict spread over more than a century, in which annihilation of one side was the only possible outcome. It’s been fascinating for me to reimagine the lead-up to the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC through the eyes of a fictional legionary, Fabius. The story has been very close to my own work as an archaeologist at Carthage itself – it’s fantastic to be that close to real history, and that’s what makes my novels come alive for me.”

Total War: ROME: Destroy Carthage will be published in September 2013 to tie in with the global release of the game. The first novel in the series will be localised into Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Hungarian and is available for pre-order from supporting retailers now.