Fortress - Böcker

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 Mehmed 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.

The most extensive and famous example of fortification in the world, the Great Wall of China stretches for more than 4,000 miles across inhospitable terrain. Charting its development from construction in the 7th century BC through to the present day, this account reveals the true history of the wall, and explores the myths that surround it. Included are details of what it was like to live within the wall, the ideas behind the defensive systems, how it was garrisoned and patrolled, and a discussion of how effective it was against attack. Through extensive examination of both ancient and modern sources, color maps, artwork and photographs, this book illustrates why the wall is one of the great wonders of the world.

A detailed look at the various defensive structures and preparations that Germany constructed for the defense of the Rhine.The Rhine River represented the last natural defensive barrier for the Third Reich in the autumn of 1944. Although Hitler had been reluctant to allow the construction of tactical defence lines in France, the final defense of the Reich was another matter. As a result, construction of a Rhine defence line began in September 1944.Steven J. Zaloga examines the multiple phases of construction undertaken to strengthen the Westwall (Siegfried Line), to fortify many of the border villages, and finally to prepare for the demolition of the Rhine bridges. Using detailed maps, colour artwork, and expert analysis, this book is a thorough examinations of Germany's last line of defence.

This is the first title in a series that takes a detailed look at fortifications and defensive systems throughout history. The prolonged and bloody fighting for control of the Japanese occupied Pacific islands in World War II is a key point in the history of 20th century warfare. No two islands were alike in the systems and nature of the defensive emplacements - this title examines specific islands, as well as taking a close look at a "generic" island defense model. Also covered are island reinforcement plans as well as air and naval support, which seldom materialized. Such aspects as communication and ventilation systems, external obstacles and defenses are also dealt with.

The East Wall was where the final battles for the stricken Third Reich were fought, amid scenes of utter carnage.Beginning life at the end of World War I, the wall became a pet project of Adolf Hitler's, whose ascent to power saw building work accelerated, with plans for a grand, 'Maginot-style' defence put in place. But with a characteristically erratic change of heart, Hitler began to systematically strip the wall of its best defensive assets to bolster the Atlantic Wall, never dreaming that he would face an attack on two fronts. Despite belated and somewhat bungled reinforcements later in the War, the East Wall would face a monstrous challenge as it became the Reich's last redoubt in the face of the mighty Soviet war machine.Neil Short brings his expert knowledge to bear with an analysis of different stages of the wall's construction, the years of neglect and decay and the hasty, drastic redevelopment in the face of the looming Soviet threat.

This book completes the story of one of the most formidable defensive lines in Europe in World War II, looking at the lesser known Mediterranean extension and describing how it was conceived of, built and used.After the alarming collapse of Italy in 1943, the Germans launched a crash building program and the ‘Sudwall’ (South Wall) sprang up quickly along the French Mediterranean coast and the neighbouring Italian coast around Genoa. The new defenses were bolstered by existing French fortifications of key port towns such as Marseilles and Toulon – many of them bristling with heavy artillery.Whilst describing the wall’s physical design features, this book also recounts the defenses’ role in the Allied invasion of Southern France; Operation Dragoon – ‘The Second D-Day’. As the Germans’ worst fears became a reality, the southern Atlantic Wall would face its ultimate test.

Though primarily fought in the field, the American Revolution saw fortifications play an important part in some of the key campaigns of the war.Field fortifications were developed around major towns including Boston, New York and Savannah, while the frontier forts at Stanwix, Niagara and Cumberland were to all be touched by the war. This book details all the types of fortification used throughout the conflict, the engineers on all sides who constructed and maintained them, and the actions fought around and over them.

Jagging across north-western Europe like a 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.

Due to its location in the western North Atlantic between the Carolinas, 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 defence 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 “Gibraltar of the West”.

An illustrated study of the history of the Moscow Kremlin, a metaphor for Russia, a symbol for its government and an enduring icon of the country.A fortified complex covering 70 acres at the heart of Moscow, behind walls up to 18m high and watched over by 20 towers, the Kremlin houses everything from Russia’s seat of political power to glittering churches. This is a fortress that has evolved over time, from the original wooden guard tower built in the 11th century to the current stone and brick complex, over the years having been built, burnt, besieged and rebuilt. Starting with the initial building of a wooden watch tower on the banks of the Moskva river in the 11th century, this book follows the Kremlin's tumultuous history through rises and falls and various iterations to today, supported by photographs, specially commissioned artwork and maps. In the process, it tells a story of Russia, and also unveils a range of mysteries around the fortress, from the 14th-century underground tunnels built to permit spies to enter and leave it covertly through to today’s invisible defences such as it GPS spoofing field (switch on your phone inside the walls and it may well tell you you're at Vnukovo airport, 30km away) and drone jammers.

The Philippines were declared an American Territory on January 4, 1899, and construction of seacoast fortifications began in the mouth of Manilla Bay - Fort Mills (Corregidor), Fort Frank, Fort Hughes, and Subic Bay's Fort Wint. Tiny El Fraile Island was levelled to create a unique structure, the complex and formidable "concrete battleship" of Fort Drum. During World War II, the Japanese invaded, and were determined to hold out to the bitter end. This work brings back to life these key sites.

The most familiar characteristics of the traditional Japanese castle are the huge sloping stone walls and the graceful yet militarily sophisticated structures built on top of them. This title covers the entire period of Japanese castle development from the first introduction of stone walls and tower keeps in the mid-16th century, through the period of the great sieges of Japanese history - Nagashino (1575), Kitanosho (1583), Odawara (1590), Fushimi (1600), Osaka (1615) and Hara (1638), the last of the battles that brought an end to a period of intense internal strife known as the Sengoku Jidai (Age of Warring Battles).

Hadrian's Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. It is the best known frontier in the entire Roman Empire and stands as a reminder of past glories of one of the world's greatest civilizations. Its origins lie in a visit by the Emperor Hadrian to Britain in AD 122 when he ordered the wall to be built to mark the northern boundary of his Empire and to "separate the Romans from the Barbarians". 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.

At the start of the American Civil War (1861), some of the most powerful torts in the country were located in the secessionist states, and many of these fell into Confederate hands. Although a handful of key sites remained in the Union, the remainder had to be won back through bombardment or assault. Forts such as Fort Sumter, Fort Morgan and Fort Pulaski formed the centerpiece in the struggle for control of the Confederate coastline. This book examines the stone forts that played a crucial part in the course of the Civil War, covering their design, construction, and the way they were armed and manned.

This work takes a look at the formidable U-boat bases and bunkers built on the French coast (Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire, La Pallice, Bourdeaux), in Norway (Bergen, Trondheim), and Germany (Keil, Hamburg, Helgoland), and also focuses on the huge "Valentin" factory complex at Bremen, which manufactured the new type XXI electro-boats. Bunker protective systems, such as camouflage, light and heavy flak installations and nearby air cover are also covered.

The Teutonic Knights were the most warlike of the religious orders, and this is reflected in the architecture they left behind. The Teutonic memorials are the magnificent castles they built as a result of their conquest of Prussia. They were all built of brick, and raised during a period of less than a century and a half between 1230 and 1380. Many of these dramatic fortresses still exist today in what is now Poland, and provide a unique example of an architectural style that is both well defined and very closely reflects the nature of the men who created it. This book details the history of these spectacular fortresses from their inception through to their eventual decline and fall.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the military importance of the Hawaiian Islands became clear. Oahu in particular was a key bastion in projecting America's military power in the Pacific. This importance would lead the island to becoming a military fortress - and also the site of one of America's greatest defensive failures, the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941. By the end of World War II, the harbor itself was the most heavily defended in the world, earning the sobriquet "Fortress Oahu". This title documents the development of these complex and integrated systems, and analyses the success of the infamous Japanese attack in the light of their knowledge of the island's defenses.

Following the battle of Bussaco on 27 September 1810 Wellington's heavily outnumbered troops began to withdraw towards Lisbon. By the evening of 9 October the British and Portuguese began to withdraw behind a line of defensive works that had been built to the north of Lisbon. These were not the rudimentary field works that the French anticipated, but an enormous network of forts, batteries and redoubts whose construction had been started the previous November - the Lines of Torres Vedras. This 30-mile-wide line utilised the area's natural defences, damming rivers, scarping hillsides, blocking roads and establishing forts upon almost all of the hills. This title describes its design, creation and effectiveness in the face of French attacks.

The major fortresses of the Iberian peninsular controlled the most important routes in and out of the country. Although all these fortifications had existed prior to the French invasion, they were considerably renovated and updated according to the principles of French military engineering laid down by the great engineer Vauban. This renovation included the adding of ravelins, bastions, curtains, counterscarps and all the other defensive features of the period. This title examines these fortifications, their design, development and strategic importance. It also deals with the various attempts, both successful and otherwise, that were made to besiege and storm them, some of the bloodiest and most savage encounters of the Peninsular War.

The Normans were some of the most feared warriors of the High Medieval period, descended from the Vikings who had settled in Northern France under their leader Rollo in or around 911: throughout the following centuries they built on their warlike reputation. This culminated in their conquest of England under Duke William I. This conquest was by no means assured even after the climactic victory of the battle of Hastings. In order to consolidate his position, William built a series of fortifications around the country. This book covers all these developments from the early days of William I through to the fortifications of Henry II, Richard I and John.

Following their settlement in the north of France, the Normans sought to consolidate their territorial gains in what was to become known as Normandy. They did this by building a series of castles and fortifications. Duke William's desire to hold down his lords, and his efforts to crush opposition to his minority also led to a number of famous sieges at castles such as Brionne, Arques and Alencon. This book discusses the Norman castles in Normandy, as well as in the Mediterranean, where at Melfi and Ademo in Italy and Sicily, Sahyun and Bagras in the Principality of Antioch they also left their mark.

The techniques of warfare were transformed during the 15th and 16th centuries by the use of gunpowder and by substantial progress in the effectiveness and destructive power of artillery. Consequently new methods of fortification were introduced, and following the outbreak of the English Civil War most towns and castles had to be re-fortified. The main communication routes followed the lines of the old Roman roads so control of these, and of the major cities, was important. However, the sites that saw most fortification were the two capitals, London for the Parliamentarians and Oxford for the Royalists.

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. While the guerrilla warfare in the Somerset marshes and the battle of Edington are characteristic of Alfred's military abilities, his definitive physical achievement was a series of some 30 well-structured fortifications across the kingdom. They continued to form a basis of West Saxon rule during the period of the emergence of an English kingdom in the 10th century under Alfred's son, King Edward 'the Elder'. This title traces the development, construction and impact of these fortifications from the 9th to the 11th centuries AD.

This book provides a concise and informative treatment of the Maginot Line, from North-East France down to the Alps. The Line was named after Andre Maginot, who advocated a series of fixed defences to counter the threat of German military resurgence, and to provide time for the French Army to mobilise in the event of any invasion. Construction of the Line began in 1929, and was largely complete by the outbreak of World War II. Packed with maps, plans and elevations, contemporary images and modern photographs, plus stunning artwork, it forms a detailed and informative visual treatment of this famous fortification system.

The West Wall (or the Siegfried Line as the Allies called it), played a crucial role in the bitter fighting of 1944 and 1945 in North-West Europe. Constructed in the period immediately after the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936 the Wall stretched for 300 miles from Cleve in the north to the Swiss Border and consisted of some 14,000 pillboxes. The Wall initially blunted the US attack, and Hitler used it as a foundation to launch the Ardennes Offensive. This title takes a detailed look at the development and form of this key fortification, examining the principles of its defence in visual depth, and discussing its fate in the wake of the Allied onslaught.

The Island of Malta occupies a pivotal position in the Mediterranean, forming an outpost between North Africa and the soft underbelly of Europe. It has seen numerous sieges throughout the years. Following the successful defence of the Great Siege of 1565, new walls and fortifications were raised on the island. These came to naught when Napoleon occupied Malta in 1798. Retaken by the British in 1800 its defences were modernized throughout the 19th century. The final test for the island fortress was to come during World War II. This book examines all these different styles of fortification from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

In all the stories told by mankind and recorded through its history, the tale of the siege of Troy is perhaps the greatest secular story ever told. It has certainly captured the western imagination for some 3000 years. Archaeological work has revealed that the site around Hisarlik, where Troy is believed to have been, is considerably larger and more interesting than was previously thought, making it more likely that the Trojan Wars were on the scale implied by Homer. This book reveals the literary, historical and archaeological records which make up the background to the tale of Troy and describes in detail the fortifications of Troy VI (i.e. Homer's Troy) and their correlation to other Bronze Age defence works in the Near East. This book also introduces the reader to the literary, historical and archaeological records which make up the background to the tale of Troy.

The original forced conversion of pagan Livonia, what is now the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia, was carried about by a military order known as the Brethren of the Sword. In 1236 this order was incorporated into the Teutonic Knights following a catastrophic military defeat. The knights had always consolidated their conquests through networks of castles and fortified places, and the Livonian Chapter of the Teutonic Order built castles of stone. This title covers the developmental and operational history of these fortresses over the length of the Middle Ages. It details how the Baltic fortifications of the Teutonic Knights evolved to reflect the changing nature of siege warfare and the increasing dominance of gunpowder in warfare.

This title provides a detailed examination of the defenses of the three largest fortified cities in Canada - Quebec, Montreal and Louisbourg - and also covers New Orleans in America. Quebec City is the best known and most impressive of the sites covered, and was the strongest of the fortresses of New France: besieged twice by the British (1690 and 1759) and once by the French (1760), it was captured in 1759 by General James Wolfe. Montreal was also strongly fortified and its strategic location ensured its prominence in the fur trade early on. Fortress Louisbourg was built as a large fortified naval station between 1720 and 1743 and saw significant combat action.