Hadrian's Wall Hardcover – 10 April 2018

This is a short but easy to read and quite comprehensive introduction and a handy little guide to Hadrian’s Wall which is targeted at the general public. The main text makes up about 150 pages divided into an introduction and 10 chapters although each of these also contains photos and illustrations explaining how the Wall was built and showing some of the types of auxiliary troops that occupied it.While the approach is roughly chronological, the book also contains dedicated chapters on “building and manning the Wall”, on the interactions between the Wall and the towns and soldiers and civilians and on Life on the Wall. The author also brings together in a seamless way the narrative sources, the findings of multiple excavations of various parts of Hadrian’s Wall (and, to a lesser extent, Antonin’s Wall) over more than a century and a half. He also throws in some literary references and bedtime tales - Kipling’s Puck of Pook’s Hills and the Roman centurion of the 30th legion. These might arise some childhood memories (and not only the author’s by the way) even if – as the author shows in the rest of this little booklet - the Wall was garrisoned by auxiliaries as opposed to legionaries, and if the 30th never seems to have served in Britannia.This impressive little book ends with a tenth chapter that contains the core information that you need to know to visit the main sites of the Wall and its main museums. IT is completed with a short but extremely useful list of “suggestions for further reading”. Five stars with no hesitation for a remarkable little piece that is small enough to fit in your pocket when visiting.

I've not read this thoroughly yet, as I bought for future use, but it looks as if it contains a lot of information, and tipsfor intending visitors.

Short and to the point: scholarly and informative. Great guide to what is there.

Brilliant book - anyone interested in HW or British Historty should be engrossed.

Good combination of touristic and historical (sci) information - in a portal and stylish præsentation. Just the type of book I want for my holiday trip.

OK book - easily read - a bit too superficial for me.(I'm a history buff!)

bought as a gift.

Excellent book. Nicely bound, we’ll written. A very informative account from a very knowledgeable author.

In un epoca in cui i muri sarebbero quanto di peggio al mondo ... in un elegante volumetto racconta come i Romani, per oltre 3 secoli avevano creato una netta divisione tra "mondo civile" e il resto del mondo ... Del volume c'e' una traduzione italiana in brossura e meglio illustrata, ma costa il triplo dell'originale. Se leggete l'inglese e vi accontentate di un formato tascabile e di illustrazioni in bianco e nero questa va piu' che bene. Anche per comprendere che quando alla fine il muro "cede" la civilta' finisce per oltre mezzo millennio.

Quite a thin book with not many pages for the price. I am very disappointed with this book. I expected something with more depth regarding Hadrian's Wall.

This is a departure from Goldworthy's titles that I have read in the past. His triumphs with books like "Pax Romana" and "Augustus" are dense, brilliant, and hundreds of pages long. "Hadrian's Wall" is different. First, it is less than 200 pages in length, inclusive of front and end matter. Next it has pictures and maps throughout that usually appear at the most convenient location in text.Brevity aside, Goldworthy's writing is always superb, and he does not disappoint here. The work is very accessible and readable, yet it provides great detail on the wall, the Roman Army, and Roman Britain as a whole. Moreover, there is no scholar better qualified to discuss the Roman Army than Mr. Goldworthy. The book was a quick and pleasant read that leaves one wanting to visit the wall.

“… the Roman army was designed for mobile warfare and not static defense … In all its phases, Hadrian’s Wall was designed to allow the Roman army ready access across its line. By the third century, more than one-fourth of the soldiers stationed in or near the Wall were cavalrymen … Such a strong force of good-quality cavalrymen allowed the army to patrol far in advance of the Wall, and even well beyond its outpost forts. They acted as a reminder of Roman strength and of the army’s long reach …” – from HADRIAN’S WALLFor one contemplating a visit to Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England, or for one lucky enough with available time and interest to already have done so (such as myself), HADRIAN’S WALL by Adrian Goldsworthy is a must read.Starting with a Chronology summarizing a timeline (from 55 BC to 410 AD) for Rome’s involvement with the conquest and occupation of Britannia, the author – an award winning historian with several non-fiction books about Rome and its army to his credit ‒ then details in the first nine chapters what is known about the need for the Wall, its genesis, and the form and manning of it from available archeological and written evidence: Britannia as the Empire’s outpost, about Emperor Hadrian himself, building and garrisoning the Wall, the Wall’s evolution under subsequent emperors, the anatomy of its parts (turrets, mile castles, forts, ditches), forts and attached towns, soldiers and civilians, life on the Wall, how the Wall “worked”, and the end of Empire. In a final chapter, Goldsworthy suggests how to best visit and explore the Wall.An Appendix lists known and probable garrison units in the second and third centuries and c. 400 for each of the forts along the Wall’s length: Wallsend, Newcastle, Benwell, Rudchester, Halton Chesters, Chesters, Carrawburgh, Housesteads, Vindolanda, Great Chesters, Carvoran, Birdoswald, Castlesteads, Stanwix, Burgh-by-Sands, Drumburgh, Bowness-on-Solway, South Shields, Birrens, Netherby, Bewcastle, High Rochester, and Risingham.HADRIAN’S WALL is peppered with a good amount of black and white photos with accompanying descriptions. A map of the Wall is included.I wish I’d had this book to read before my various trips to the Wall in the 1970s and 80s. (The attached photo is a 1976 snap of the walkway on top of the Wall near Housesteads fort at Whin Sill; for conservation reasons, it's the only short stretch of Wall that can actually be walked upon.)My previous experience with the author’s books was an excellent three-volume set of historical novels (VINDOLANDA, THE ENCIRCLING SEA, BRIGANTIA) based on the fictional exploits of Flavius Ferox, a centurio regionarius stationed in the north of Britannia thirty years before the Wall’s completion. Adrian was careful to state that nothing in these novels was contradicted by available evidence of the time and place. He based all three books on unearthed scraps of written sources. For instance, in HADRIAN’S WALL he states:“… and the Vindolanda tablet mention men with the title of ‘centurio regionarius’, who probably were responsible for dealing with the locals in a set area.”

I bought this book because I will be visiting Hadrian's Wall this summer and wanted more background on the topic. Goldsworthy does an excellent job providing a solid and well written history of the wall. I got all of the background information I hoped for and then some. It is not a long book but it is the perfect length for what I wanted. The author does a great job covering the major points with skill. I enjoyed it greatly and found it highly informative.

4 stars simply because it's the best mouse in a horse show.It's obvious from the lack of books available on the subject that there is not anything like a major interest regarding the subject; no one willing to spend the time and effort to do a really good effort on the subject finds it profitable to do so. When we went to the visitors’ center near Gilsland, my wife was probably not alone in wondering why we had ‘wasted the time’ to get here; I touched the stones placed by the Legionnaires some 2,000 years ago and was pleased. We had a good lunch in Carlisle soon after, so all was well.Graphically, the book is a total failure. On pg. 16, there is what purports to be a map of the Wall. Obviously, any map of a lengthy wall requires a landscape vs. a portrait orientation. In this case, the landscape format is jammed crosswise into the portrait page in a small format. By actual measure, the initial caps on the city/fort names measure some .035” (.09mm) in height. The features noted on the map (rivers, etc) did not get such a generous allotment.This is inexcusable. If a map is intended to convey information, it must be sized to do so. I don’t propose to be an editor, but the author through the publisher ought to be embarrassed to have their names attached to such a pathetic effort.The remainder of the photos and illustrations are such as to be an embarrassment to a 1925 National Geographic magazine issue; I have some, I know. This is the 21st century;The text makes it barely worth the price; Goldsworthy presents what we know about the wall clearly. Equally, he clearly presents what we assume about the wall, and never confuses the two. We’re left with impressions and what we can hope to be knowledge of how it was built and why, how it was used, how it was altered, bypassed and then again modified and employed. All within the social, military and commercial contexts of the time(s).Wonderful work on the text; the books suffers from what should be easily corrected graphic mistakes. This is the 21st century; manipulating graphics is within the skill set of your 15 year old nephew, for pete’s sake.

Having read a good bit about the Roman republic/empire (but not being an expert in any sense of the word), I found this physically small book to be rich in descriptive text regarding one of the Romans' most successful physical/defensive works. I particularly liked the manner in which the author couches clear distinctions between what is known and what can only be surmised from more or less fragmentary evidence.In fact, it's one of those books where one arrives at the end wishing the whole experience could be prolonged...

This is a very impressive little book, w/ fine diagrams and photos. My only complaint is that the fine photos are in black and white rather than in color. Given the spectacular views photographed, the lack of color is very, very regrettable!

I have always been fascinated by Hadrian's Wall and have enjoyed some of Goldsworthy's works. However, I was disappointed with his latest book. In this day and age, why would the publisher choose to print all maps and photographs in black and white??? Also there is a map (for instance on page 16) that includes a legend and words that are almost too small to see, which is also a result of the small size of the book. It is hard to make out topographical landmarks that are mentioned on photographs. The history and text are great in this book, but the poor quality of photographs and maps is a huge disappointment. It is 2018, so why is everything in this book black and white?

I love Roman History. This is quite interesting and the author has put a little humanity into the writing. I am only half through the book but I will finish it.... I had hoped to learn a little more about the IXth legion that supposedly disappeared into the north and was never found.....

As stated by other reviewers, a quick and pleasant read; I would recommend for a weekend beach trip or a long flight.Topic may be a bit dull for some readers of Roman history as Adrian relays descriptions of the wall and its ancillary structures. "Hadrian's Wall" is not nearly as actioned packed as “Punic Wars” and “Cannae” (no fault of his own!), which is to be expected.However, if you are into reading lengths of foundations, heights of walls, and depths of pits, this is your book (luckily, I am).All in all, I would recommend!

A great book went to the wall last spring. And was amazed Going back this spring with a much better understanding. Of the roman occupation. Would recommend this to anyone looking to learn about hadrians wall

Everything you wanted to know about Hadrian's Wall, but if you really want to know about how the Romans really lived and died at that period, read the author's novels about life in those times.

Exactly what you would expect from one of the world's leading experts on Ancient Roman. His vast knowledge of Roman Britain is a marvel. Everything you would ever want to know about Hadrian's Wall is set forth in this short, easy read. I would highly recommend.

I was part of a one-week dig at South Shields and Hadrian's Wall. This book, with all its excellent detail, has enriched my experience. Now I have a well-researched over-view of the history of the entire Wall and Britain during the Roman occupation.