First came Fortress Europe: Forts and Fortifications, 1939-1945 by J. E. Kaufman and Robert Jurga and now The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts and Walled Cities of the Middle Ages.
The new book uses the same applauded, illustrative technique. The period between 1100 and 1500 was a golden age for the military architect and an unrivalled era in the history of fortification. Castles, forts and walled cities covered the face of medieval Europe and, until the advent of gunpowder, reigned supreme in conflict after conflict.
This superb and comprehensive examination of military fortification in the period, brilliantly illustrated with more than four hundred technical plans and evocative photographs, examines a diverse array of defensive systems, from such impregnable bastions as Carcasonne and Stirling to more modest urban defences. Based on years of careful research and personal observation, The Medieval Fortress is a dynamic history of siege warfare and a telling insight into a key feature of European warfare.
With an informative text, covering the origins and development of forts and fortification systems, as well as masterful plans and illustrations, this reference book is a superb addition to literature on the subject.
J. E. Kaufmann is an authority on military history. Robert Jurga is an acknowledged artist and illustrator.
Reviews of Fortress Europe:
‘Comprehensive and detailed.’ - Soldier.
‘Profusely illustrated with photographs, maps, plans and a large number of cut-away isometric drawings, a particularly strong element of the book and a welcome aid to interpretation ... the variety of fortifications portrayed will be an eye-opener even to those who are knowledgeable on the subject ... the drawings of a British pillbox, Tett Turret and Pickett-Hamilton Fort are excellent. The scope of this book is very ambitious and it was a courageous undertaking. It is a valuable compendium of information ... certainly recommended reading for those who are seriously interested in fortification during the Second World War. The acid test is whether the reviewer will buy his own copy of this book - and he will!’ - The Royal Engineers Journal.
‘Packed with information and excellent drawings.’ - Casemate: The Newsletter of the Fortress Study Group.
‘Superb ... an exceptionally detailed text is backed up with meticulously accurate line drawings of a selection of bunkers, artillery emplacements and turrets ... Perhaps it is significant that Switzerland has modernised several of its Alpine forts to ensure that they can retain a key role in national defence. All in all, it is very fortunate that the British element of KFOR did not have to fight its way through Serbian fortifications.’ - British Army Review.
‘This is a tremendous volume ... the amount of research and details included in this volume are immense. Students of WWII, modellers and gamers will thumb through this book and use it as a resource again and again. It is a great addition to anyone’s library of WWII books.’ - Carl Smith in Osprey Military Journal.
Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 106 Table of Contents
Back to Greenhill Military Book News List of Issues
Back to Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2001 by Greenhill Books
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com