Edition #65 in Osprey's Fortress series concentrates on the Forts of Judea raised when the Maccabees overthrew the Seleucids until the fall of Masada that ended the Jewish-Roman war in 73AD. Of all of these fortresses, Masada is probably the most famous, as much due to the decision of the leader of these people to have them all commit suicide rather than the immense engineering effort of the Romans to overtake this citadel.

In concert with other titles in this series, the author provides an introduction to the subject and then divides the fortress building into the two major eras; the Hasmonaean and Herodian time periods showing the differences in engineering of the periods. Then there is a detailed look at a half dozen of the more prominent fortifications, followed by what it must have been like to have lived in these places during that time.

The author then takes us into a look at how these fortifications actually functioned during war. Like many, they were unable to fulfill the task desired by their builders for various reasons. Then there is a discussion on the results of the various defeats and what these places are like today. Fortunately for us, most of these have been  or are being excavated and preserved and can be visited by those so inclined.

This is all superbly illustrated by Adam Hook, giving us a look at how these forts developed and were sustained. Add in a fine collection of  photographs of the extant sites as well as some historical artifacts, and you have an excellent book on a subject that is both historically significant and fascinating to read. It is one I can highly recommend.

November 2008

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