Hadrian's Wall AD 122-410: No. 2 (Fortress)

This was just what I wanted. A detailed guide to the whole run of Hadrian's Wall with excellent illustrations, maps etc. I already feel I know the Wall and I haven't been up there yet. I've read it cover to cover and intend to do it again, with the ordnance survey map and google maps on satellite view so I can really look at the whole thing in detail.The only criticism I had is that there aren't enough maps in the book, and sometimes some of the pictures aren't labelled well enough for the reader to know what they're of.I loved all the illustrations. Really brought it to life for me.I would say this is essential reading for anyone thinking of going up there to see the Wall.I'd have given it more than five stars if I could have.

I bought this little book a few years ago when looking for an introduction to Hadrian's Wall, on which I new precious little. There are a host of books on the subject, but I was just looking for a short summary with the essentials so I decided to go for an Osprey one, at the risk of being disappointed. I wasn't for this one is certainly one of the best in the collection. This is because Nic Fields has managed to blend together the history of the Wall and its archeology and to present both with a surprising degree of detailed information. Even his biliography illustrates this blend with a mix of books on the Roman Army, with some of the "usual suspects" that you might expect to find (such as Goldsworthy, Keppie or Webster), books of Roman fortifications and garrison life, and books most specifically targetd on the Wall itself.This booklet exhibites the same comprehensive blend. After an introduction to Roman fortifications, you learn about the origins of the Wall, its components, its construction (and how it turned out to be somewhat different to what had originallt been envisaged), the function of the Wall, its garrison, including not only numbers but a list of all the units that have been identified and of their posting. It finally concludes with a fascinating section on the soldiers' everyday life on the Wall, including what we know about their diet (rather a lot in fact!) and their leisures, including some of the games that they played.The illustrations - plates, pictures and maps - are also well chosen and fit very well with the text. The maps and a couple of the plates show to what extent the Wall fit into a complex and sophisticated defense system. Some of the other plates illustrate the fact that the Wall was not a defense platform nor an impassible barrier but rather a garrison from which the front line auxilia could sally and bring the fight to the ennemy. This could mean repulsing assaults on forts but it also implied, like elsewhere along the Roman limes across the Empire, punitive expeditions or even preventive strikes far to the north of the Wall.The main impression conveyed by the book is that everything was carefully thought out and planned, and very little was left to chance. Even the stationing and composition of the various units on ot next to the Wall was thought through with the all-cavalry units being for instance stationed slightly behind, close to the main road and in a way that would allow them to reinforce any threatened section as fast as possible.A great little book, where I learned a lot of fascinating information in an entertaining way. This is whay Osprey publications shoulkd look like!

Interesting read

Good, no frills summary. Useful for anyone intending a visit and for general information about the period.

Plenty of good information to get one started on the subject, good pics, and plates.