- Paperback: 64 pages
- Publisher: Osprey Publishing (22 Oct 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841766399
- ISBN-13: 978-1841766393
- Product Dimensions: 18.3 x 0.4 x 24.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 502,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
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.
About the Author
Ryan Lavelle is currently lecturing in medieval history at King Alfred's College. Winchester and the University of Southampton, England. He is completing a study of the reign of the Anglo-Saxon king Aethelred II 'The Unready', to be published later this year by Tempus Publishing. Donato Spedaliere was born in Switzerland, and moved to Tuscany at the age of 10, where he still lives. Having studied at the Instituto Nazionale di Belle Arti in Florence he served in the Italian Army as a paratrooper. He has worked as an illustrator for publishers in Italy and abroad and he is the chief illustrator of Alina Illustrazioni. Sarah Sulemsohn Spedaliere was born in Romania and emigrated to Israel with her family. Following a degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Sarah lectured at the University of Florence and in 1994 completed an architecture degree. Since 1998 she has worked at Alina Ilustrazioni, which she founded with her husband Donato.
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First Sentence
In an entry for the year 789, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded the first of what was to be a series of attacks on the kingdom of Wessex. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In an entry for the year 789, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded the first of what was to be a series of attacks on the kingdom of Wessex. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Burher Kings of Wessex,
By
This review is from: Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1016: The Defences of Alfred the Great Against the Vikings (Fortress) (Paperback)
A fairly specialist subject, dealt with in depth, but not for really for idle browsers, only for those prepared to invest some concentration. You can sample the text in the "Look Inside" option above.
Contents: Introduction - p4 Chronology - p7 Design and Development - p8 - Early fortification of Anglo-Saxon England - Early fortification of Mercia - Early West Saxon defences - ALfred the Great - 'Private' fortifications: Anglo-Saxon castles? Fortifications in the l;andscape - p26 [You are never more than 20 miles from a fortification!] - The principles of defence The Sites - p33 Town and garrison life - p39 - Religious life - Warrior elites: the housecarles - The king and the towns Campaigns in Wessex and fortifications - p47 - Sieges in Early medieval Wessex - Defending the walls Aftermath - p56 Visiting Alfred's Wessex - p58 Further Reading, Glossary & Index - pp62-64 Colour Plates: 1. Colour map - Kingdom of Wessex and its Neighbours 2. Offa's Dyke - a cross-section illustration 3. Construction of a burh 4. Private fortification - of a theign (a wooden stockade, a gate, a stone tower, and a church - all required to qualify as a theign) 5. 'Generic' West Saxon burh - 2 pages - burh with a mixture of wood and stone walls & ramparts. 6. Winchester - 3/4 birds-eye view of the town and landscape 7. Lydford - 3/4 birds-eye view of the town and landscape 8. Assault on a burh - viking attackers' view with traditional hatchet in gate. Plenty of colour photos mixed in with traditional b&w drawings and photos (though two of the drawings are rather too large - they look like thay have been blown up to fill space). Small font size, so you get more for your money.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting reading material....,
By lordhoot "lordhoot" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1016: The Defences of Alfred the Great Against the Vikings (Fortress) (Paperback)
Ryan Lavelle wrote a sweet and short book on how fortification are designed and used during the times of Alfred the Great and two hundred years after. But the book does centered itself around Alfred's period quite a lot. The book proves to be well written and researched with plenty of drawings, maps and photos to further the narrative. I was especially interested in what he had to say about Offa's Dykes, something I saw during my travels in Britain but never really understood it. In my next trip, I would have to study it with more interest (long way from Alaska!). The book also pointed out that Saxons also planned and designed their "burh" in a way that might make the engineers of the Roman legion proud. That is far cry that help dispelled the notion that the "Dark Ages" may not be so dark after all. The book shows how fortification of towns and strategic points affected both the Saxons and their Viking enemies in their wars and peace. I thought the book brought some interesting insights into these matters.
One more thing before I close out here. If anyone reading this is a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series where the hero Uhtred goes about his adventures, this book definitely helped the visualization of his world. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Burher Kings of Wessex,
By G. Simon - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Fortifications in Wessex c. 800-1016: The Defences of Alfred the Great Against the Vikings (Fortress) (Paperback)
A fairly specialist subject, dealt with in depth, but not for really for idle browsers, only for those prepared to invest some concentration. You can sample the text in the "Look Inside" option above.
Contents: Introduction - p4 Chronology - p7 Design and Development - p8 - Early fortification of Anglo-Saxon England - Early fortification of Mercia - Early West Saxon defences - ALfred the Great - 'Private' fortifications: Anglo-Saxon castles? Fortifications in the l;andscape - p26 [You are never more than 20 miles from a fortification!] - The principles of defence The Sites - p33 Town and garrison life - p39 - Religious life - Warrior elites: the housecarles - The king and the towns Campaigns in Wessex and fortifications - p47 - Sieges in Early medieval Wessex - Defending the walls Aftermath - p56 Visiting Alfred's Wessex - p58 Further Reading, Glossary & Index - pp62-64 Colour Plates: 1. Colour map - Kingdom of Wessex and its Neighbours 2. Offa's Dyke - a cross-section illustration 3. Construction of a burh 4. Private fortification - of a theign (a wooden stockade, a gate, a stone tower, and a church - all required to qualify as a theign) 5. 'Generic' West Saxon burh - 2 pages - burh with a mixture of wood and stone walls & ramparts. 6. Winchester - 3/4 birds-eye view of the town and landscape 7. Lydford - 3/4 birds-eye view of the town and landscape 8. Assault on a burh - viking attackers' view with traditional hatchet in gate. Plenty of colour photos mixed in with traditional b&w drawings and photos (though two of the drawings are rather too large - they look like thay have been blown up to fill space). Small font size, so you get more for your money. |
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