Hadrian's Wall

February 1, 2018
A slim, tight history of a Roman fortification that "is special because it is unlike any other Roman frontier."An award-winning British historian of the classical world, Goldsworthy takes time out from big subjects (Augustus: First Emperor of Rome, 2014, etc.) to write a short book on a more obscure subject, with equally satisfying results. Roman armies had mostly conquered Britain by 43 C.E., but they never occupied the Scottish Highlands, whose tribes persistently raided south. In 122, Emperor Hadrian, who reigned from 117 to 138, ordered a defensive wall constructed across northern Britain. Extending only about 73 miles, it took 20 years to build and remained in use for more than three centuries. Goldsworthy admits that this is trivial compared to the immense Great Wall of China, which served far longer, but it is a historical treasure nonetheless. "Nowhere else were the defenses so elaborate or monumental in scale," writes the author, "nor is there so much archeology to see in so small an area." Existing ancient documents rarely mention the wall, but Goldsworthy is an old hand at filling historical holes. The barrier itself was dotted by forts, towers, and military bases that were often surrounded by towns that served the needs of the soldiers. Parchment was expensive, so Britons wrote official documents and even personal letters on wood or clay slabs, many of which survive. Trash piles and even latrines turn up archaeological gems. The narrative, following a capsule history of Rome and its conquest of Britain, is comprised of 100 pages of richly complex details of late empire life along the wall. Goldsworthy concludes with a brief guide to visiting the wall.Readers will learn perhaps more about the wall's engineering than they want to know, but this is an appealing, detailed history of the largest monument left by the Roman Empire.

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April 1, 2018

Hadrian's Wall has long been a subject of fascination for many, just as it has always been for Goldsworthy (Pax Romana). While the author has published a number of accessible books on Roman military history, he also writes fiction set around the wall. This book clearly grew from a personal desire to untangle how its purpose changed throughout periods of Roman Britain history and the daily lives of the people stationed there. Starting with several short chapters on Roman emperor Hadrian and his motivations for building the wall, the book then explores the structure's thematic elements, such as how it was built, its role in military strategy, and how gradually its importance fell away with the end of Roman Britain. Despite the brief but detailed archaeology and historiography, this slim volume is easy to follow, illustrated with Goldsworthy's own photographs of his visits to the Wall along with illustrations of how it might have looked while in use by soldiers who occupied it. VERDICT For those touring the wall or armchair travelers, this book will be an excellent guide and entertaining read for Roman military history fans.--Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. Chicago Libs.

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