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Hadrian's Wall
From an award-winning historian of ancient Rome, a definitive history of Hadrian's Wall
Stretching eighty miles from coast to coast across northern England, Hadrian's Wall is the largest Roman artifact known today. It is commonly viewed as a defiant barrier, the end of the empire, a place where civilization stopped and barbarism began. In fact, the massive structure remains shrouded in mystery. Was the wall intended to keep out the Picts, who inhabited the North? Or was it merely a symbol of Roman power and wealth? What was life like for soldiers stationed along its expanse? How was the extraordinary structure built--with what technology, skills, and materials?
In Hadrian's Wall, Adrian Goldsworthy embarks on a historical and archeological investigation, sifting fact from legend while simultaneously situating the wall in the wider scene of Roman Britain. The result is a concise and enthralling history of a great architectural marvel of the ancient world.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
About the author
Adrian Goldsworthy
40 books1,314 followersAdrian Goldsworthy, born in 1969, is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including biographies of Julius Caesar and Augustus. He lectures widely and consults on historical documentaries for the History Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. He lives in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
July 10, 2022
3 estrellas.
Es el primer libro de Adrian Goldsworthy que puntúo con menos de 4 estrellas, pero si lo hago no es porque el contenido no sea interesante o incorrecto, sino porque al final me ha parecido más un folletín publicitario de la muralla en sí, que un estudio sobre ella.
El libro nos describe basándose en los estudios que se han desarrollado en los fuertes excavados y, mayormente, en Vindolanda, cómo fue la vida de las diferentes guarniciones que vigilaron la Muralla de Adriano y la distribución de las estructuras que en ella se situaban. Adrian Goldsworthy no dejó en el tintero, al menos, otras estructuras, como el Vallum, o incluso nuevas murallas, como el Muro Antonino. También se describen los diferentes obstáculos con los que un eventual incursor podía toparte en su intento de saltar el muro, que eran muchos y bastante eficaces, aunque, como se verá, no completamente infalibles.
A destacar del libro, las ilustraciones. Aunque pocas, me han parecido muy buenas las representaciones de los legionarios y auxiliares que defendieron la muralla durante los últimos estertores del Imperio Romano de Occidente, muy alejados de lo que el imaginario colectivo entiende por un soldado romano.
Por lo demás, bueno... se lee rápido si se tiene tiempo para leer. Puede que ese haya sido también mi problema de no conectar con el libro demasiado, pues lo he leído un día sí, ocho días no.
Lo dicho, un libro que no recomiendo demasiado, teniendo en cuenta otros de mejor y más profundo calado, pero que puede ser entretenido y didáctico si uno planea ir a ver la muralla.
Es el primer libro de Adrian Goldsworthy que puntúo con menos de 4 estrellas, pero si lo hago no es porque el contenido no sea interesante o incorrecto, sino porque al final me ha parecido más un folletín publicitario de la muralla en sí, que un estudio sobre ella.
El libro nos describe basándose en los estudios que se han desarrollado en los fuertes excavados y, mayormente, en Vindolanda, cómo fue la vida de las diferentes guarniciones que vigilaron la Muralla de Adriano y la distribución de las estructuras que en ella se situaban. Adrian Goldsworthy no dejó en el tintero, al menos, otras estructuras, como el Vallum, o incluso nuevas murallas, como el Muro Antonino. También se describen los diferentes obstáculos con los que un eventual incursor podía toparte en su intento de saltar el muro, que eran muchos y bastante eficaces, aunque, como se verá, no completamente infalibles.
A destacar del libro, las ilustraciones. Aunque pocas, me han parecido muy buenas las representaciones de los legionarios y auxiliares que defendieron la muralla durante los últimos estertores del Imperio Romano de Occidente, muy alejados de lo que el imaginario colectivo entiende por un soldado romano.
Por lo demás, bueno... se lee rápido si se tiene tiempo para leer. Puede que ese haya sido también mi problema de no conectar con el libro demasiado, pues lo he leído un día sí, ocho días no.
Lo dicho, un libro que no recomiendo demasiado, teniendo en cuenta otros de mejor y más profundo calado, pero que puede ser entretenido y didáctico si uno planea ir a ver la muralla.
February 16, 2021
Hadrian's Wall by Adrian Goldsworthy, is a fun little read on the aforementioned Wall that separated Roman Britannia from unincorporated regions in Northern Britain (modern Scotland). This book is focused solely on the Wall, and its history, composition, interactions with cultural life, the Empire and the wider world. It discusses the construction of the Wall, and its theoretical purpose, although the author skillfully notes that we still do not fully understand the functions and purposes of the Wall and archaeologists and historians continue to glean new information every time a new dig or study is conducted that changes our preconceived notions of this structure.
Even so, this was a very enjoyable and concise read on Hadrian's Wall. Constructed as a garrisoning point to separate recently conquered territories in Britain, the Wall served as a crossing point for trade, a means of customs and border control, a garrison-economy that drove local civic life, and a barracks for soldiers defending, and raiding, into Northern Britain. The Wall was a complex design, not massive by ancient world standards, but quite the feat of engineering. It consisted of long stretches of wall, with a theoretical rampart for patrols, although this is not proven. Throughout its early history, the Wall had a rather standardized construction, that even so was adapted and rebuilt as needed and depending on the fiscal and military situation at hand at the time. Repairs and new construction sometimes followed uniform design, and sometimes evidence of corner-cutting or quick fixes is noted. Milecastles dotted the wall - these were smallish forts that housed a local garrison and its infrastructure, including granaries, barracks, administrative building, and small towns that abutted them. Soldiers would have been stationed here, and sent to patrol the wall, raid north, conduct diplomatic missions, and promote civil order in the region from these nerve points. Civic life was common here as well; leave papers have been dug up, indicating that soldiers would travel to and from. Local towns abutted the Wall and its forts, with all the civic life that would pertain too in a small garrison town - pubs, farms, civic entertainment and the like.
The Wall began to fall into disrepair for numerous reasons. Hadrian's Wall at one time became a secondary line after the Antonine Wall was occupied farther north. Its gates were removed to allow unhindered travel in and out. However, after the Antonine Wall was abandoned, the Hadrian Wall was reactivated as the last line of defence. This remained the case until internal unrest began to rock the Roman Empire, and soldiers were pulled away for conflict elsewhere. Britain often became a seat for unrest as well, and soldiers for the North would be pulled South to fight in civil conflict. Eventually, Rome lost the ability to administer Britain in any capacity, and new kingdoms and warlords arose, making the unified Wall a forgotten encumbrance. Stones for the Wall were often taken as building materials for local construction. Some of the Milecastles and forts remained occupied as local bases of power, but many fell into disuse.
A great little book on the Hadrian Wall through and through. Although this is not an exhaustive text on the Wall by any stretch, this book has enough tidbits on the Wall, its place in the Roman world, its construction and engineering, and the like, to interest this reader greatly. I enjoyed my time with this book, it was concise and informative, and I would certainly recommend it as reading material for those who enjoy learning about the Roman Empire, and are looking for a smaller niche read.
Even so, this was a very enjoyable and concise read on Hadrian's Wall. Constructed as a garrisoning point to separate recently conquered territories in Britain, the Wall served as a crossing point for trade, a means of customs and border control, a garrison-economy that drove local civic life, and a barracks for soldiers defending, and raiding, into Northern Britain. The Wall was a complex design, not massive by ancient world standards, but quite the feat of engineering. It consisted of long stretches of wall, with a theoretical rampart for patrols, although this is not proven. Throughout its early history, the Wall had a rather standardized construction, that even so was adapted and rebuilt as needed and depending on the fiscal and military situation at hand at the time. Repairs and new construction sometimes followed uniform design, and sometimes evidence of corner-cutting or quick fixes is noted. Milecastles dotted the wall - these were smallish forts that housed a local garrison and its infrastructure, including granaries, barracks, administrative building, and small towns that abutted them. Soldiers would have been stationed here, and sent to patrol the wall, raid north, conduct diplomatic missions, and promote civil order in the region from these nerve points. Civic life was common here as well; leave papers have been dug up, indicating that soldiers would travel to and from. Local towns abutted the Wall and its forts, with all the civic life that would pertain too in a small garrison town - pubs, farms, civic entertainment and the like.
The Wall began to fall into disrepair for numerous reasons. Hadrian's Wall at one time became a secondary line after the Antonine Wall was occupied farther north. Its gates were removed to allow unhindered travel in and out. However, after the Antonine Wall was abandoned, the Hadrian Wall was reactivated as the last line of defence. This remained the case until internal unrest began to rock the Roman Empire, and soldiers were pulled away for conflict elsewhere. Britain often became a seat for unrest as well, and soldiers for the North would be pulled South to fight in civil conflict. Eventually, Rome lost the ability to administer Britain in any capacity, and new kingdoms and warlords arose, making the unified Wall a forgotten encumbrance. Stones for the Wall were often taken as building materials for local construction. Some of the Milecastles and forts remained occupied as local bases of power, but many fell into disuse.
A great little book on the Hadrian Wall through and through. Although this is not an exhaustive text on the Wall by any stretch, this book has enough tidbits on the Wall, its place in the Roman world, its construction and engineering, and the like, to interest this reader greatly. I enjoyed my time with this book, it was concise and informative, and I would certainly recommend it as reading material for those who enjoy learning about the Roman Empire, and are looking for a smaller niche read.
February 12, 2018
Hadrian's Wall and the associated forts are the largest Roman ruins visible in the world. It is 80 miles long and reaches from the Solway Firth on the Irish Sea across hills and dales to the banks of the Tyne on the North Sea and marked the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. It wasn't the only wall built to be the northernmost frontier, that honour goes to the Antonine Wall. This was started in 142AD and abandoned around 20 years later when legions were moved back to the more substantial Hadrian's Wall. Long thought to be a barrier keeping out the Picts and Ancient Britons that lived north of this wall, it turns out to have a much deeper and complicated history.
Adrian Goldsworthy brings us up right up to on the latest hypothesis' and theories of Hadrian's Wall, considering how it functioned, how it was built and whether it served a military function or it was just a demonstration of power to the marauding tribes. By drawing on the recent archaeological discoveries, in particular, the details gleaned from the tablets discovered at Vindolanda, he pieces together a vivid picture of how life would be there for a soldier on the furthest outpost from Rome. It is a beautifully produced book, full of maps, photos and images of what we know of life in the UK 2000 years ago; definitely a book for any lover of Roman history.
Adrian Goldsworthy brings us up right up to on the latest hypothesis' and theories of Hadrian's Wall, considering how it functioned, how it was built and whether it served a military function or it was just a demonstration of power to the marauding tribes. By drawing on the recent archaeological discoveries, in particular, the details gleaned from the tablets discovered at Vindolanda, he pieces together a vivid picture of how life would be there for a soldier on the furthest outpost from Rome. It is a beautifully produced book, full of maps, photos and images of what we know of life in the UK 2000 years ago; definitely a book for any lover of Roman history.
March 26, 2023
Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Romans in the second century and stretched over 117 km from coast to coast near the border of what is now England and Scotland. In this book, one of my favourite authors, Adrian Goldsworthy, tells the story of the wall and how it functioned. The book is quite short, mainly due to there just not being that many sources on the Wall, or on northern Roman Britain in general.
However, the book still gives a nice overview of the Wall. Goldsworthy does a great job at making the book entertaining and the beautiful pictures of the ruins and the nature that surrounds them have definitely made me want to visit it. I especially liked the chapters on Roman life on the wall and the lives of ordinary people near the forts. The final chapter about visiting Hadrian’s Wall was also very helpful to make me even more excited. I wish to walk the entire trail some day, and I’m sure that this book will accompany me on that journey! Four stars!
However, the book still gives a nice overview of the Wall. Goldsworthy does a great job at making the book entertaining and the beautiful pictures of the ruins and the nature that surrounds them have definitely made me want to visit it. I especially liked the chapters on Roman life on the wall and the lives of ordinary people near the forts. The final chapter about visiting Hadrian’s Wall was also very helpful to make me even more excited. I wish to walk the entire trail some day, and I’m sure that this book will accompany me on that journey! Four stars!
April 7, 2019
I skimmed through this before going on a trip to the UK to see Hadrian's Wall. It's quite short (about 130 pages) and is organized into several sections that make it easy to skip to whatever subject you're interested in. The book is reasonably engaging, but there's no reason to pick it up unless you have a very specific interest and/or are planning a trip. (There's an entire chapter at the end focusing on trip planning that I ignored, which is typical.)
I particularly enjoyed the section about the Vindolanda writing tablets. One of the tablets features the oldest surviving handwriting by a woman in Europe, and it's a birthday invitation! Claudia Severa sends an invitation to her friend Sulpicia Lepidina and adds at the end, "I shall expect you, sister. Farewell sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper and hail." AMAZING. I, too, hope to prosper and hail at my next birthday.
I particularly enjoyed the section about the Vindolanda writing tablets. One of the tablets features the oldest surviving handwriting by a woman in Europe, and it's a birthday invitation! Claudia Severa sends an invitation to her friend Sulpicia Lepidina and adds at the end, "I shall expect you, sister. Farewell sister, my dearest soul, as I hope to prosper and hail." AMAZING. I, too, hope to prosper and hail at my next birthday.
December 9, 2018
Read the first couple chapters, and all you can think is, "Holy crap, this is Game of Thrones!" And, indeed, an internet search reveals that George R. R. Martin did base his mammoth ice wall of the north on Hadrian's Wall.
Built to keep northern raiders out of the Roman provinces to the south and perhaps regulate trade, Hadrian's Wall stretched over 70 miles, from coast to coast. It was a massive undertaking whose construction and maintenance lasted for several centuries at the tail end of the Western Roman Empire. Though many of its stones were later removed and used in other construction projects, large chunks still remain today.
Unfortunately, this book squanders a lot of the inherent wonder through dry academic history prose and a fixation on picayune details like how many pairs of shoes were owned by the soldiers who manned the wall. The author also includes constant disclaimers about the gaps in knowledge that, while necessary, are frustrating and boring.
A historian and not an archaeologist, the author spends too little time on the actual mechanics of construction and examination of the remnants still visible today. Unlike the vibrant color cover, the interior photographs and illustrations are presented in a washed-out to completely-muddled gray, making it hard to appreciate the sheer grandeur of the ancient piles of rocks.
Despite the short length of the book, it took me a while to slog through it. I'm giving it three-stars solely on the subject matter.
Built to keep northern raiders out of the Roman provinces to the south and perhaps regulate trade, Hadrian's Wall stretched over 70 miles, from coast to coast. It was a massive undertaking whose construction and maintenance lasted for several centuries at the tail end of the Western Roman Empire. Though many of its stones were later removed and used in other construction projects, large chunks still remain today.
Unfortunately, this book squanders a lot of the inherent wonder through dry academic history prose and a fixation on picayune details like how many pairs of shoes were owned by the soldiers who manned the wall. The author also includes constant disclaimers about the gaps in knowledge that, while necessary, are frustrating and boring.
A historian and not an archaeologist, the author spends too little time on the actual mechanics of construction and examination of the remnants still visible today. Unlike the vibrant color cover, the interior photographs and illustrations are presented in a washed-out to completely-muddled gray, making it hard to appreciate the sheer grandeur of the ancient piles of rocks.
Despite the short length of the book, it took me a while to slog through it. I'm giving it three-stars solely on the subject matter.
October 19, 2019
Perhaps surprisingly, a fascinating history of Hadrian's Wall that spanned northern Britain. Goldsworthy includes history, archaeology, military activities, and perhaps too much engineering for my taste. At 73 miles and manned for only just over 3 centuries this wall is neither as long nor as long-used as the Great Wall of China but it provides a rich trove of archaeological information about early Britain, the Roman occupation, and later history. Were I planning to walk the wall--or even to visit it--I'd appreciate this short history. Derek Perkins excellent narration complements this engaging history.
September 25, 2018
A charming and very informative crash course on Rome's northernmost frontier.
For everything I learned from this book, watch my video on the subject:
https://youtu.be/pDu7bhrPvCA
For everything I learned from this book, watch my video on the subject:
https://youtu.be/pDu7bhrPvCA
May 25, 2018
An interesting and instructive little book. (My preference would have been for a slightly larger format and more photographs but I get the economics of book publishing,) As always with ancient history, a lot of the work is acknowledging what we don’t know and cautioning against unwarranted conclusions. Much of this is a recapitulation of Roman history as well as fairly detailed descriptions of the walls construction and functions. Most frustrating is that if we know v little about north Roman Britain we know much less about the opponents it faced in what is now Scotland or the dimensions of the conflicts that engaged the region for the best part of four centuries.
August 15, 2024
A succinct precis of Hadrian's Wall. Compared to Moffat's The Wall: Rome's Greatest Frontier, this book is a lot more focused. My copy is also full of gorgeous pictures.
Goldsworthy is an expert on the Roman Army more generally and so gives a really good idea of what the army at the wall would have looked like across the centuries.
He pulls from all the right sources but I did notice that he also makes a lot of statements of fact that probably should be a little more uncertain than his very emphatic position. Claiming the mental state of certain historical figures based on histories written centuries after they've passed is tenuous at best. In saying that, I see this as a primer and as such it's probably better positioned to make assertions to set a vivid scene. I still haven't got over Theodore Dodge Ayrault spending 50 pages of the Hannibal biography to identify the exact pass over the Alps he believes Hannibal took and this book is the opposite, no equivocation. The list of source material at the back is also great.
Cassius Dio described Commodus as
Septimus Severus' advice to his sons from his deathbed
Third time I've come across what seems to be the best description of the Roman army.
Goldsworthy is an expert on the Roman Army more generally and so gives a really good idea of what the army at the wall would have looked like across the centuries.
He pulls from all the right sources but I did notice that he also makes a lot of statements of fact that probably should be a little more uncertain than his very emphatic position. Claiming the mental state of certain historical figures based on histories written centuries after they've passed is tenuous at best. In saying that, I see this as a primer and as such it's probably better positioned to make assertions to set a vivid scene. I still haven't got over Theodore Dodge Ayrault spending 50 pages of the Hannibal biography to identify the exact pass over the Alps he believes Hannibal took and this book is the opposite, no equivocation. The list of source material at the back is also great.
Cassius Dio described Commodus as
Not Naturally evil, but simple minded
Septimus Severus' advice to his sons from his deathbed
'love one another, indulge the soldiers, and despise everyone else.'
Within a year the older brother had murdered his younger sibling. He was in turn killed in 217, stabbed to death by a centurion in his own bodyguard, and this was the start of generations of civil war unlike anything in Rome's past history.
Third time I've come across what seems to be the best description of the Roman army.
Josephus, who as one of the leaders of the Jewish Revolt in the first century AD fought against the Romans, spoke of an army always preparing for war and claimed that their "drills were bloodless battles and their battles bloody drills."
August 28, 2021
This book had some interesting facts in it, so it was worth the read, but I prefer history books that contain more of a narrative. This was information you might read in an pamphlet handed out to tourists while visiting the site. Some of Goldsworthy’s other books are more in-depth and tell more of a story.
October 10, 2018
This is the fourth book on Roman History by Adrian Goldsworthy that I’ve read and I have liked all of them. In Hadrian’s Wall he tells the story of the eponymous wall from its construction under Hadrian to its slide into disuse as the Roman empire crumbled. He describes how it was built and what life was like for the soldiers posted there on the outer rim of the empire. He also explains what the wall was good for. I had always assumed it was some kind of boondoggle/vanity project but Goldsworthy set me straight explaining how while the wall wouldn’t stop a full scale invasion it would make cross border raiding (the sort of violence the Scottish border is famous for) infinitely more difficult.
November 10, 2023
"Para mostrarnos esta emblemática construcción como nunca antes, la editorial Desperta Ferro publica "El muro de Adriano", un volumen en el que el famoso historiador Adrian Goldsworthy hace un completísimo repaso por toda su historia y contexto histórico. La obra pertenece a la exitosa colección de libros ilustrados de la editorial, por lo que más allá del magnífico texto del autor, está plagada de todo tipo de fotografías, ilustraciones y recreaciones..."
RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
![Profile Image for Amanda [Novel Addiction].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1415744673i/4886503._UX200_CR0,36,200,200_.jpg)
May 15, 2018
A good basic history of Hadrian's Wall. I wish there had been more on traveling to/hiking along the wall, as there was incredibly little of that, but overall, this was an interesting read.
March 23, 2024
A great short history of the Hadrian's Wall. Getting ready to hike the Hadrian's Wall Path in just a few weeks and I'm planning on bringing this along as a reference.
January 24, 2021
A short concise approachable book on Hadrian’s Wall, I especially appreciated that tips for viewing/waking it at the very end
October 21, 2018
So I read the first half and skimmed the second. Recommended by World magazine, I bought this book after reading Eagle of the Ninth to my kids. Boy, was I disappointed. Slow out of the starting gate, its redundancy and lack of certitude bogged me down even further. I realized I don't like books with the words "We think..." or "Scholars surmise..." The fact of the matter is not much is actually KNOWN about Hadrian's wall except its construction and era. The author speaks in conjecture, hypothesis and suppositions. This type of scholarship is not my cup of tea. P.S. The black and white pictures and micro font don't help much either.
August 6, 2019
I took this book on knowing nothing about Hadrian’s Wall. I found it interesting in the level of detail – not too much, not too little. There’s not a lot of detail known about the wall. There are the measurements and descriptions of the wall from current times. There are mentions of the wall in historical documents, as well as the soldiers that patrolled the wall and the townspeople that supported the soldiers. There is plenty of conjecture about the wall’s use – not so much a defense for battle but a way to slow down attackers and force traffic through toll gates. I enjoyed that story, as well as the descriptions of Legionnaires in the society at the time of the wall. I listened on audio. I believe reading the book, assuming it had good pictures, would be more worthwhile, but on audio you still get the descriptions.
February 8, 2021
This was a nice, readable history of Hadrian’s wall.
December 29, 2022
Hadrian's wall may not have been the grandest piece of architecture from the Ancient world but it was still one of many impressive feats of engineering by the Romans during their near four century-long rule of Britain. The wall stretched across dozens of kilometres from Bowness to South Shields, providing the key line of defence between Roman Britain and the Scots/picts to the north. In this short book, Goldsworthy provides a concise overview of the wall's development, function and decline.
I found the first two chapters to be quite dull as its seemed as if Goldsworthy was just trying to breeze through the early stages of the wall without providing much context. Due to the limited level of sources, it mostly devolved into simply naming the various emperors, and their activities in Britain in the mid 2nd century AD without describing the role they played in developing the wall. The chapters on the anatomy of the wall were well-researched and informative providing the structure of the wall itself such as its heigh, width and design as well as the mile castles and forts jotted along it. Using fairly recent archaeological evidence he also gives an insight into the way the soldiers on the wall would have lived, the games they played and food they ate as well as detailed accounts of a legionaries salary and expenditure which helps give a clearer picture of what life would have been like for the average soldier serving in Roman Britain. Particularly useful was the addition of pictures and drawings which helped visualise the forts and towers along the wall as well as the development of the uniforms and equipment of Roman soldiers as time went on.
Although there is little evidence of the exact use of the wall other then its obvious function Goldsworthy gives a neat description of the type of tactics used to defend against raiding parties and the expected number of troops serving across the wall. The book also touches on the culture of the various people along the border and how the roman soldiers and local Britons cultures interacted which provided a unique mix of respect and hostility between the local religions and customs of both peoples. Unfortunately because of a lack of records, especially in the wall's principal period of use during the late 2nd and 3rd century AD, there isn't a great deal of the military history of the wall; the writers of the history books during this time undoubtedly saw Britain as nothing more than a distance insignificant island. The Romans withdrawal from Britain is even more confusing but despite this Goldsworthy does an admirable job at trying to piece together the information we have and make the best guess possible about the exact details of the wall's steady decline.
Hadrian's wall is a lucid and concise overview of the wall's history and function and worth a read for anyone planning to visit it or interested in its history.
I found the first two chapters to be quite dull as its seemed as if Goldsworthy was just trying to breeze through the early stages of the wall without providing much context. Due to the limited level of sources, it mostly devolved into simply naming the various emperors, and their activities in Britain in the mid 2nd century AD without describing the role they played in developing the wall. The chapters on the anatomy of the wall were well-researched and informative providing the structure of the wall itself such as its heigh, width and design as well as the mile castles and forts jotted along it. Using fairly recent archaeological evidence he also gives an insight into the way the soldiers on the wall would have lived, the games they played and food they ate as well as detailed accounts of a legionaries salary and expenditure which helps give a clearer picture of what life would have been like for the average soldier serving in Roman Britain. Particularly useful was the addition of pictures and drawings which helped visualise the forts and towers along the wall as well as the development of the uniforms and equipment of Roman soldiers as time went on.
Although there is little evidence of the exact use of the wall other then its obvious function Goldsworthy gives a neat description of the type of tactics used to defend against raiding parties and the expected number of troops serving across the wall. The book also touches on the culture of the various people along the border and how the roman soldiers and local Britons cultures interacted which provided a unique mix of respect and hostility between the local religions and customs of both peoples. Unfortunately because of a lack of records, especially in the wall's principal period of use during the late 2nd and 3rd century AD, there isn't a great deal of the military history of the wall; the writers of the history books during this time undoubtedly saw Britain as nothing more than a distance insignificant island. The Romans withdrawal from Britain is even more confusing but despite this Goldsworthy does an admirable job at trying to piece together the information we have and make the best guess possible about the exact details of the wall's steady decline.
Hadrian's wall is a lucid and concise overview of the wall's history and function and worth a read for anyone planning to visit it or interested in its history.
December 23, 2018
adore large engineering feats, and ancient Rome, and ghostly relics, and British countryside, so what's not to love about Hadrian's Wall? Seventy-seven miles of wall once built across northern England during the First Century, originally 15 feet high and 10 feet wide made of squared stones. I saw a small unimpressive crumbling portion of the wall myself while traveling through England a few years ago and immediately wanted to learn more. This historian writes a no-nonsense explanation of everything you can imagine including construction methods, turret designs, army latrines, and shoes found in the rubble. He methodically tells you what we know and what we don't know about why Hadrian built the wall. I love the mystery of the whole thing.
We know that Roman people flooded into the area and stayed for 400 years, but why? "Only a tiny fraction of the literature of the ancient world has survived into the modern era. These texts mention Hadrian's Wall no more than a handful of times, and the sole surviving statement about its purpose claims that Hadrian built the Wall 'to separate the barbarians from the Romans.'" Sound familiar? We're still doing it, folks, and it makes no sense now either. Unity, not separation is a better goal. But, I digress. The Wall appeals to me as any bold, audacious project that takes 6 years to build with no power tools or earth-moving equipment. And it didn't really keep people out - it mostly slowed them down, forced them off their horses so they could check with guards and pay little bribes to keep moving. There's not much evidence of large battles fought around the Wall, but lots of evidence of small towns growing up near the Wall to serve what became about 15,000 soldiers and travelers. The Wall was abandoned in the fifth century and nearby residents started to re-use the stones for their own building projects. "History never stands still, and priorities change, as do memories. It was not that long after the end of the Roman era that the idea of what the Wall had been became confused - that is, when people bothered to think about it at all.." And so it goes. As Robert Frost reminds us, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
We know that Roman people flooded into the area and stayed for 400 years, but why? "Only a tiny fraction of the literature of the ancient world has survived into the modern era. These texts mention Hadrian's Wall no more than a handful of times, and the sole surviving statement about its purpose claims that Hadrian built the Wall 'to separate the barbarians from the Romans.'" Sound familiar? We're still doing it, folks, and it makes no sense now either. Unity, not separation is a better goal. But, I digress. The Wall appeals to me as any bold, audacious project that takes 6 years to build with no power tools or earth-moving equipment. And it didn't really keep people out - it mostly slowed them down, forced them off their horses so they could check with guards and pay little bribes to keep moving. There's not much evidence of large battles fought around the Wall, but lots of evidence of small towns growing up near the Wall to serve what became about 15,000 soldiers and travelers. The Wall was abandoned in the fifth century and nearby residents started to re-use the stones for their own building projects. "History never stands still, and priorities change, as do memories. It was not that long after the end of the Roman era that the idea of what the Wall had been became confused - that is, when people bothered to think about it at all.." And so it goes. As Robert Frost reminds us, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
August 26, 2018
Grabbed this from my local public library's e-book collection while waiting until another book on a similar topic was available. This is a neat and tidy little volume that fit the bill.
Goldsworthy, a historian, runs through the basics of what is known about Hadrian's Wall, the structure built across Britain which marked the northern edge of the Roman Empire and stood for several hundred years until it was abandoned as the empire disintegrated. Much of the wall still remains, and Goldsworthy describes what historians know (and don't) about this amazing structure based on what remains of the wall, in addition to archaeological discoveries made over the centuries.
All aspects of the wall are described. It was constructed, repaired, and revised over the centuries that the Romans were in Britain and was made from a wide range of materials. In addition the physical structure itself, Goldsworthy describes the associated fortresses, towers and communities -- how they were built, staffed and maintained. Much of the discussion (and illustrations) centers around the military groups and organization that would have been posted at the wall. While I didn't expect to get much from this, it was really quite interesting. The illustrations, a mix of drawings, elevations and photographs of the existing structures are integrated into the text and quite helpful.
This is a great short overview of the wall and it's place in British history. The end sections which cover additional readings and information about visiting the wall today are really good. I'm going to try and remember this if I ever I get chance to visit this amazing place myself. I'd really like to walk the entire length some day. Perhaps....
Goldsworthy, a historian, runs through the basics of what is known about Hadrian's Wall, the structure built across Britain which marked the northern edge of the Roman Empire and stood for several hundred years until it was abandoned as the empire disintegrated. Much of the wall still remains, and Goldsworthy describes what historians know (and don't) about this amazing structure based on what remains of the wall, in addition to archaeological discoveries made over the centuries.
All aspects of the wall are described. It was constructed, repaired, and revised over the centuries that the Romans were in Britain and was made from a wide range of materials. In addition the physical structure itself, Goldsworthy describes the associated fortresses, towers and communities -- how they were built, staffed and maintained. Much of the discussion (and illustrations) centers around the military groups and organization that would have been posted at the wall. While I didn't expect to get much from this, it was really quite interesting. The illustrations, a mix of drawings, elevations and photographs of the existing structures are integrated into the text and quite helpful.
This is a great short overview of the wall and it's place in British history. The end sections which cover additional readings and information about visiting the wall today are really good. I'm going to try and remember this if I ever I get chance to visit this amazing place myself. I'd really like to walk the entire length some day. Perhaps....
October 17, 2018
3 stars out of 5 - I read this over the past couple of evenings. It's a short introduction to the history of Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern border of the Roman province of Britain other than during the relatively brief period when the Antonine wall was manned much farther north. It's a small format volume whose maps, diagrams and illustrations suffer as a result. The wall was not a massive structure designed to be defended along its length in the same sense that the great walls of China were. It was more designed to hinder and slow down raiders and relatively undisciplined and ill trained native armies so that the better organized and disciplined Roman cavalry and infantry units stationed in fortified camps along it could gather and make intrusions costly enough to discourage repetition.
February 28, 2019
Provavelmente esse é o livro menos detalhado do Adrian Goldsworthy - apesar de não ser de forma alguma um livro raso - e acaba deixando uma sensação de “faltou alguma coisa”, ainda que o texto e o conteúdo inserido no livro sejam excelentes. Principalmente a parte dos materiais usados e da engenharia da muralha poderiam ter tido uma discussão mais profunda.
Maior atenção é dada aos fortes e torres ao longo da muralha e nos achados arqueológicos, mas diversos aspectos são abordados, entre eles: o imperador Adriano; construção, manutenção e funcionamento da muralha; como era a vida ao longo das fortificações; a muralha de Antonino; além de dicas de turismo.
O livro conta com diversas fotografias de achados arqueológicos e de partes da muralha atualmente, ilustrações, esquemas e mapas.
Recomendado para quem tem um interesse específico pelo assunto.
Maior atenção é dada aos fortes e torres ao longo da muralha e nos achados arqueológicos, mas diversos aspectos são abordados, entre eles: o imperador Adriano; construção, manutenção e funcionamento da muralha; como era a vida ao longo das fortificações; a muralha de Antonino; além de dicas de turismo.
O livro conta com diversas fotografias de achados arqueológicos e de partes da muralha atualmente, ilustrações, esquemas e mapas.
Recomendado para quem tem um interesse específico pelo assunto.
January 15, 2021
Short, sweet, and to the point, this examination of the history of the Wall is a bit light-but engaging and informative nonetheless. Concerned more with how people lived and manned the Wall and how well that all worked than the architecture and methods of building, you get a feel that the whole project was a living place and thing. Thankfully skipping deep details of the dozens of milecastles, forts, towers, lookouts, ditches, berms, etc that a rigorous academic work would, it's instead shown as a community.
April 20, 2018
Dit boek biedt een brede introductie tot een van de grootste archeologische bouwwerken van het Romeinse Rijk. Opgravingen en data-analyses vinden nog steeds plaats en - zolang er geld beschikbaar is - zullen nog wel even doorgaan. Zeer de moeite waard voor degenen die geïnteresseerd zijn in (Romeinse) geschiedenis en toeristen, die wat meer achtergrondinformatie willen hebben over de Muur van Hadrianus.
March 29, 2020
This is a concise if a little boring summary of what we know and don’t know about Hadrian’s Wall, given to me because it’s one of my favourite aspects of classical history. I enjoyed it, even I sometimes struggle with Goldsworthy’s descriptions of organization, especially with regards to military units. There’s a lot more to be said about this subject, but Goldsworthy admits he’s probably not the one to say it, which is fair.
August 5, 2021
Hadrian's Wall and The Antonine Wall have fascinated me since first learning of their existence in Latin class in 9th grade. Getting to travel to England and Scotland a few years ago gave me a great appreciation for "old things" as I live in a country so relatively new.
This was the perfect blend of history and anthropology to more completely explain what we have come to learn of The Wall and how what we thought we knew has changed with better science over the years.
This was the perfect blend of history and anthropology to more completely explain what we have come to learn of The Wall and how what we thought we knew has changed with better science over the years.
August 20, 2021
Goldsworthy did exactly what he set out to accomplish, which is write a small book on what Hadrian's (or Adrian's) wall is and give context to the structure. I can't fault Goldsworthy for the lack of specific details because there isn't enough primary sources that he can draw on. The most interesting parts of the book was detailing why it was built and how it was used, more as a base and less as a barrier. It certainly peaked my interest in seeing it, however lackluster it may appear today
June 29, 2022
This was a fun listen while I sewed today. It’s a short book, not too full of dry details, but has enough to help the reader understand a good deal. I don’t know if the book has maps or not, but as I listened, I was wishing for some for context. I appreciated the History of the emperors and how the wall came to be built, maintained, and then finally dismantled.
He also noted the changes in the archeological records as to the numbers of soldiers and what they ate and even murders discovered.
He also noted the changes in the archeological records as to the numbers of soldiers and what they ate and even murders discovered.
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