Books in the Fortress series

This book provides an in-depth study of the construction and location of these fortifications, and examines what it was like to live and fight inside them, with the forts themselves illustrated by beautifully detailed artwork.

Due to its location in the western North Atlantic some 600 miles off the Carolinas and halfway between 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 defense 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 ΓÇ£Gibraltar of the West."

A strategically important natural harbor in the Orkney Islands, Scapa Flow served as Britain's main fleet anchorage during World Wars I and II. In 1914 and again in 1939, the British began building a comprehensive defensive network by fortifying the entrances to Scapa Flow, and then extended these defenses to cover most of Orkney.

Starting in 1940, Germany was subjected to a growing threat of Allied bomber attack. They were joined by US daylight raids which first began to have a serious impact on German industry in the autumn of 1943. This book focuses on the land-based infrastructure of Germany's defense against the air onslaught.

The ring of fortifications protecting the city of Verdun on the Meuse River would become critical in the infamous battle of World War I. This book examines these fortifications, including the famous forts of Douaumont and Vaux that saw some of the fiercest fighting during the battle.

The East Wall was where the final battles for the stricken Third Reich were fought, amid scenes of utter carnage. This book offers 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.