Master the fundamentals of fortification with a classic military engineering text.
This edition presents clear statements of the general principles behind modern fortifications, aimed at cadets and students. It covers the bastion system, its traces, inner works, open and covered defences, and the evolution of fortification practice for permanent works.
The material emphasizes practical rules and construction details, showing how engineers plan, lay out, and reinforce defensive works without overwhelming detail. It frames the subject around the art of fortification, the different systems, and the methods used to adapt defenses to varied sites and historical contexts.
- Definitions and scope of the art of fortification, including permanent versus temporary works
- Descriptions of the bastion system, polygonal and other major fortification traces
- Interior works, outworks, and approaches to ensuring continuous defence
- Principles of defilade, traverses, and communication within a fortified place
Ideal for readers of historical military engineering, strategy, and the development of defensive architecture.