Guarded Age

David Betz is Professor of War in the Modern World in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London and a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Centre. He has written four books, most recently Carnage and Connectivity: Landmarks in the Decline of Conventional Military Power (OUP), and dozens of chapters and articles on problems of contemporary strategy and warfare. He regularly advises governments and armies on a range of issues including cybersecurity, counterinsurgency doctrine, strategic communications, and future warfare.

"Betz manages to unearth a transformation under our noses: even as castles and fortresses become tourist spots and museums, the world is growing more thoroughly fortified than ever. Both comprehensive and detailed, this book is a vital resource for anyone who wants to understand the shape of security today."Jonathan D. Askonas, The Center for the Study of Statesmanship at the Catholic University of America"Informed by history but applied to the contemporary era, The Guarded Age provides a novel and insightful conceptualisation of fortification strategies. Lucid and engaging, it will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of fortification."David Blagden, University of Exeter"Of Sparta people said that, having men to defend it, it did not need walls. Today, as The Guarded Age shows, walls, visible and invisible, physical and electronic, are going up in countless places, from private homes to airfields. So what does the construction of walls portend for the future? A superb book, timely, clear, and as well written as any book I’ve ever seen."Martin van Creveld, Hebrew University"In this intriguing book, David J. Betz analyses the proliferation of fortifications across the world today. He fuses a sharp autobiographical eye with deep historical awareness to show that, while urban fortifications are a response to immediate threats posed by globalization, they are old and, indeed, ancient solutions to an eternal problem of security which human societies have faced since the foundation of the very first cities."Anthony King, author of Urban Warfare in the Twenty-First Century"The Guarded Age identifies an important development that has escaped much notice: the resurgence of modern-day barriers, bastions, impediments, and “hardening” as a security measure.  Whether it takes the form of limiting access, channeling movement along observable or guarded paths, or hiving off areas from outside access, the construction of physical barriers continues today at a breakneck pace.  David J. Betz describes the rise of this defensive strategy, offering important insights into our unexpected and little recognized turn towards “fortification”, a security practice that many believe lost its luster in the late Middle Ages."James J. Wirtz, Naval Postgraduate School

• List of FiguresPrefaceIntroduction1 The Rise of the Walls2 Civilisation, War, and Guardedness3 Contemporary Military Fortification4 Storming the City5 Securing the City6 Hiding in Plain Sight7 Luxury Forts to Data BunkersConclusionFurther ReadingNotes