I recently finished this extremely well done history of the nation of Carthage. This book is remarkable for what it was able to tease out about the vanished city and its people from the paucity of primary sources available. It charts a remarkable arc over the course of centuries, coming to a close in 146 BC as Scipio Aemilianus' army broke into the city and began its annihilation.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the great conflicts between Republican Rome and Carthage. If you're looking for a detailed history of the Punic Wars, this is not the book for you. But if you want an excellent source for background of Carthage, it's place in the world, and how it ended up in a series of brutal wars with Rome, then this is a great source.