Hadrian's Wall AD 122-410 (Fortress, 2)
by Nic Fields

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Book Reviews of Hadrian's Wall AD 122-410 (Fortress, 2)

Book Review: Buy the Visitor Guide Instead of this Book
Summary: 3 Stars

Hadrian's Wall AD 122 - 410 begins with a description of the various types of Roman fortifications, the origins of the wall and a very brief chronology. The heart of the book lies in the chapters discussing the anatomy of the wall, the wall's construction, the function of the wall, it's garrison and life on the wall. The author includes three low-quality 2-D maps, all of which are inferior to those in the Visitor's Guide one can purchase on the modern site of the wall. There are also seven color art scenes that are decent: a milecastle, a turret, the cavalry fort at Chesters, early development of the wall, the fort at Birdoswald, a night raid on the wall and a Roman punitive raid against the Caledonians. One of the best aspects of the volume is a detailed chart that depicts the various Roman garrisons at all the major locations of the Wall in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries. Unfortunately, since the author makes little effort to discuss Roman military organization, it is difficult to determine how many troops (at least the nominal strength) might have been along the wall in these periods.

The fundamental problem with this volume is that the author views the Wall in terms of its material - brick, stone and mortar - instead of how it fit doctrinally into Rome's military strategy. With precious little insight, the author advances the theory that the wall was primarily designed as an observation platform rather than a fighting position, since the walls were too narrow. Further, Dr Fields argues that since the Roman Army was an "offensive army," it did not defend static positions. This is nonsense. Anyone who has seen Hadrian's Wall and has knowledge of basic defensive tactics will see that the Roman units chose terrain that was very advantageous for defense. If the wall was merely intended for observation as the author contends, why not build simple earth ramparts with watchtowers, like the Limes in Germany?

The author also contends that the defenses of Hadrian's Wall were not particularly impressive but this is also rubbish, since the various tribes in the north of Scotland lacked any tools for siege warfare. A 21-foot high stonewall with a garrison atop it would have been a very serious obstacle to lightly armed and poorly-organized tribesmen. The fact that the tribesmen did breach a section of the wall in 181 AD is far more indicative of a temporary lapse in Roman discipline and order than a fundamental defect in Hadrian's Wall. The Roman's built Hadrian's Wall - an enormous effort and expense - in order to achieve economy of force in what was essentially a secondary theater. By building the wall, the Romans could garrison the northern frontier of Britannia with modest auxiliary forces, allowing some of the regular legions to be transferred to more critical theaters like Germany and the Danube. Even the regular Roman units that remained in England could be utilized to secure the major population centers, rather than wasting away on a thinly populated frontier. At the cost of a five-year engineering effort, the Romans secured their northern frontier in Britannia for nearly three centuries - a bargain.

Hadrian's Wall is worthy of study as a very cost-effective effort that achieved the maximum efficiency for Roman Britain at the lowest cost. The construction of the wall was truly amazing and Dr Fields failed to emphasize that the wall was built by infantryman, not trained engineers (although there were technical advisors). When one visits the wall today, the visitor can see unit insignias such as bulls or lions engraved on the century markers, denoting which infantry company (centuria) built that section of the wall. The pride in their achievement, as well as its longevity, are evident for all to see - except in this book.

Summary of Hadrian's Wall AD 122-410 (Fortress, 2)

Ancient Books

• Subjects > History > Ancient
• Europe > England
• Military > Strategy