Bøker i Fortress-serien

This title is an in-depth exploration of the defences of "Fortress Oahu". It documents the development of these complex and integrated systems and analyzes the success of the infamous Japanese attack in the light of their knowledge of the island's defences.

Featuring some of the most distinctive castles of Europe, including Chateau Gaillard, this book covers in detail the events and aftermath of the First Crusade and the foundation of the Crusader states and castles.

It has been said in China that a city without a wall would be as inconceivable as a house without a roof. This book traces the evolution of the walled city from the 3,000 year old remains of the beaten earth walls of the Shang dynasty to the huge stone fortifications of the Ming dynasty.

A strategically important natural harbor in the Orkney Islands, Scapa Flow served as Britain's main fleet anchorage during World Wars I and II. In 1914 and again in 1939, the British began building a comprehensive defensive network by fortifying the entrances to Scapa Flow, and then extended these defenses to cover most of Orkney.

Due to its location in the western North Atlantic some 600 miles off the Carolinas and halfway between Halifax in Canada and Jamaica in the West Indies, the island of Bermuda was a key naval haven for the Royal Navy over the centuries. It was vital for the Navy first in the development of its American colonies, then during its rivalry with the United States, and finally as allies with the United States. The need to defend its 64 miles of coastline and ports has resulted in the construction of about 50 forts from 1617 to 1945, even though its total land mass is only 20.6 square miles. This led to an incredible concentration of fortifications with 2.5 forts for every square mile. Today, the legacy of these defense efforts remain either as disused structures or parks scattered throughout Bermuda, many of them now popular tourist attractions. Using stunning commissioned artwork and meticulous research, this is the fascinating story of Britain''s ΓÇ£Gibraltar of the West."

"Fortress Monasteries of the Himalayas: Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal and Bhutan".

This book provides an in-depth study of the construction and location of these fortifications, and examines what it was like to live and fight inside them, with the forts themselves illustrated by beautifully detailed artwork.

In the early 12th century AD, a large part of what we think of as France was not under the direct control of the French King who's authority stretched little further than Paris. This book describes the so-called 'Cathar castles', why they were positioned where they were, and how well those they withstood the realities of the Albigensian Crusade.

Jagging across north-western Europe like an ugly scar, the Hindenburg Line was Germany's most formidable line of defence in World War I. Its fearsome reputation was matched only by its cunning design, with deep zigzagging trenches, concrete fieldworks, barbed wire and devilish booby traps forming an intimidating barrier for any attacking army. Through meticulous research, this volume explores each of the major portions of the Hindenburg Line, paying particular attention to three examples of Allied operations against it towards the end of the war: the critical flanking of the Drocourt-Qeant Switch; the daring but costly rupture of the line of the St Quentin Canal; and the bloody battles of the Meuse-Argonne.Specially commissioned artwork and historical photographs perfectly complement the analysis provided by the authors as they trace the life of the Hindenburg Line from its seemingly invulnerable early years through to the audacious tactics used by the Allies to achieve a bitter victory in 1918.

A study of the fortifications used in England during the Civil War. It covers the defences of London and Oxford, as well as looking at castles, earthworks and field fortifications. The author also traces the development of new defence systems that were developed by engineers such as De Gomme.

The concept of a legionary fortress as a permanent structure dates from the reign of Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). This book describes the development, design and construction of these fortresses throughout the length and breadth of the Empire. It also deals with the experience of life within a typical fortress.

Dunkirk, Toulon, Perpignan, Verdun and Brest stand out among the many historically significant sites created by Sebastien LePrestre de Vauban (1633-1707). This book examines the achievements of this pivotal figure in fortification history, exploring the sites and their subsequent significance.

With the vast expansion of the Roman Empire came a need for more fortifications to defend it. This work discusses the operation and social history behind the fortifications. It traces their history through the Batavian Revolt of the 1st century AD, until the decline of the late 3rd and 4th centuries.

Founded in the late 12th century, the order of the Teutonic Knights was to play a major role during the crusades, both in the Holy Land and Northern Europe. This work studies the stone fortifications built by the order in their attempts to pacify and convert Livonia.

The American Civil War saw a massive development in the use of field fortifications, the result of the practical application of antebellum West-Point teaching, and the deadly impact of rifled infantry weapons and artillery. Both the Federal and Confederate armies began to develop far more sophisticated systems of field fortification, and the larger field works and fortifications surrounding Washington, DC and Richmond, VA were redesigned and rebuilt several times. This volume explores the role of land and field fortifications in the eastern and overland campaigns of the Civil War between 1861 and 1865. Particular attention is devoted to the nine-month siege of Petersburg, where daily life within the redoubts, lunettes, redans, bomb-proofs, trenches and rifle pits is vividly described.

When the Romans first fought against Caledonii during the reign of Agricola (AD 77-84), Agricola established a frontier along the Gask Ridge. He also consolidated the Forth-Clyde isthmus, the location at which the Romans would later build the Antonine Wall from AD 138 to 143. The following 100 years saw a cycle of advance into and retreat from Scotland, until the Romans abandoned the Antonine Wall completely. This book examines the Flavian, Antonine and Severan conquests of Scotland and the fortifications along Rome's northern frontier, and it explores the archaeological remains and places them in historical context.

The defences of Belgium that had proved easy prey to the German siege artillery of World War I were augmented in the post-war years by a massive fortress, constructed between 1932 and 1935, along the western bank of the Albert Canal - Fort Eben Emael.

The German Army of World War II was a highly mobile force. The experience of trench warfare in World War I had done much to shape Germany's blitzkrieg doctrine and concepts of field fortification, and the mobile warfare ethos of World War 2 was designed to avoid the previous war's stalemate.

Following the early battles of 1914 along the Marne and in the Ypres salient. World War I rapidly transformed from a war of movement into one of attrition, with the opposing sides entrenching themselves in a line of fortified positions from the Flanders coastline to the Swiss border.

Taking a close look at the array of defences that Britain instituted in the course of the war and the way that these were adapted to meet the changing threat, this book covers the sites that still remain and considers the effectiveness of the defences.

The walls of Constantinople are the greatest surviving example of European medieval military architecture in the world. They withstood numerous sieges until being finally overcome by the artillery of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, and exist today as a time capsule of Byzantine and Medieval history. This book examines the main defensive system protecting the landward side of the city, which consisted of three parallel walls about 5 miles long. The walls defended the city against intruders, including Attila the Hun, before finally being breached by European knights during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and, ultimately, destroyed by Turkish artillery in 1453.

Following the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and the absorption of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine into the newly formed German Empire, the German Army decided to construct a fortress line from Strasbourg to Luxembourg to protect their new territory and counter the great fortress system that was being built from Switzerland to Belgium, the centerpiece of which was the great Moselstellung (Moselle Position) of Metz/Thionville.The fortress consisted of concrete batteries that fired 10 and 15cm guns from steel turrets, concrete barracks, infantry strong points with ditches defended by casemates, and concrete trenches with shelters and steel observation cupolas. The entire position was surrounded by a wide belt of barbed wire entanglements that were defended by machine gun and rifle positions, and hidden from the view of the attacker. Illustrated with photographs and full color cutaway artwork, this book examines the design and development of the fortress and analyzes its use in combat, focusing particularly on the part it played in holding up General Patton's Third Army's advance across France in 1944

Of all the castles constructed by Western Europeans during the Middle Ages, none have caught the imagination so much as Crusader castles. This book focuses on 12th century castles in the regions now known as Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and south-eastern Turkey.

The US Army and Marine Corps in World War II considered themselves highly mobile, offensive forces. Their mobile-warfare doctrine envisioned field fortifications and obstacles as temporary in nature. As a result, their design was simple and made use of local materials, and they could be constructed comparatively quickly, whilst still providing adequate protection. By the time of the Korean War, only minor changes had been made to field fortification construction and layout, and to small-unit organization, weapons, and tactics. This title addresses field fortifications built by US infantrymen during World War II and in Korea, and covers rifle-platoon positions, trenches, crew-served weapon positions, bunkers, dugouts, shelters, observation posts and anti-tank obstacles.

The defence of the 9th-century kingdom of Wessex under King Alfred the Great against the "Great Viking Army" is one of the major military achievements of early medieval history. This work traces the development, construction and impact of fortifications from the 9th to 11th centuries AD.

The Normans were some of the most feared warriors of the High Medieval period, descended from the Vikings. They built on their warlike reputation, culminating in their quest of England under Duke William I. This work covers all these developments from the early days of William I.

The major fortresses of the Iberian peninsular controlled the most important routes in and out of the country. Their renovation included the adding of ravelins, bastions, curtains, and counterscarps. This work examines these fortifications, their design, development and strategic importance.

The Teutonic Knights were the most warlike of the religious orders, and this is reflected in the architecture they left behind. This work tells the history of spectacular fortresses from their inception through to their eventual decline and fall.

This work takes a look at the formidable U-boat bases and bunkers built on the French coast in Norway and Germany, and also focuses on the huge "Valentin" factory complex at Bremen, which manufactured the new type XXI electro-boats.

Hadrian's Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. This work details the design development and construction of the wall and covers the everyday lives of those who manned it as well as the assaults it withstood.