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Osprey Fortress #80
British Forts in the Age of Arthur
When the Romans left Britain around AD 410 the island had not been fully subjugated. In the Celtic fringes the unconquered native peoples were presented with the opportunity to pillage what remained of Roman Britain. By way of response the Post-Roman Britons did their best to defend themselves from attack, and to preserve what they could of the systems left behind by the Romans. The best way to defend their territory was to create fortifications. While some old Roman forts were maintained, the Post-Roman Britons also created new strongholds, or re-occupied some of the long-abandoned hill-forts first built by their ancestors before the coming of the Romans.
Packed with photographs, diagrams and full color artwork reconstructions, this book provides a unique examination of the design and development of the fortifications during the Age of Arthur, analyzing their day-to-day use and their effectiveness in battle. It closely describes the locations that are linked to the most famous warlord of the Dark Ages, the legendary Arthur - Tintagel, Cadbury and "Camelot". Although these great bastions were to eventually fall, for a few brief decades they succeeded in stemming the tide of invasion and in doing so safeguarding the culture and civilization of Post-Roman Celtic Britain.
Packed with photographs, diagrams and full color artwork reconstructions, this book provides a unique examination of the design and development of the fortifications during the Age of Arthur, analyzing their day-to-day use and their effectiveness in battle. It closely describes the locations that are linked to the most famous warlord of the Dark Ages, the legendary Arthur - Tintagel, Cadbury and "Camelot". Although these great bastions were to eventually fall, for a few brief decades they succeeded in stemming the tide of invasion and in doing so safeguarding the culture and civilization of Post-Roman Celtic Britain.
64 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2008
About the author
Angus Konstam
222 books62 followersAngus Konstam is a Scottish writer of popular history. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised on the Orkney Islands, he has written more than a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, historical atlases, with a special focus on the history of piracy.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 23, 2019
In his The Birth of Britain, Winston Churchill described this period as night falling on Britain, followed by hundreds of years of darkness, then dawn rising on England with everything changed. Konstam’s survey of recent archology and study of fortifications built or renewed during that obscure time casts a bit of light into the gloom.
This book is part of a series by Osprey Publishing related to ancient and medieval warfare. Some overlap to previous Konstam/Osprey volumes.
Excellent illustrations by Peter Dennis. I have visited several of these sites. Both the photographs and illustrations bring out the nature of the “Age of Arthur” efforts better than seeing them. That said, if you have the chance, do visit them.
This book is part of a series by Osprey Publishing related to ancient and medieval warfare. Some overlap to previous Konstam/Osprey volumes.
Excellent illustrations by Peter Dennis. I have visited several of these sites. Both the photographs and illustrations bring out the nature of the “Age of Arthur” efforts better than seeing them. That said, if you have the chance, do visit them.
August 9, 2013
“When the Romans left Britain around AD 410, the unconquered native peoples of modern Scotland, Ireland and Wales were presented with the opportunity to pillage what remained of Roman Britain,” runs the blurb, repeating the time-honoured scenario of “Post-Roman Britons [doing] their best to defend themselves”. This they largely did, suggests this book, by refurbishing Iron Age hillforts in the west of Britannia, and British Forts in the Age of Arthur focuses on “key sites” such as Dinas Powys, Cadbury-Congresbury and Castell Deganwy, as well as the more famous Tintagel and South Cadbury.
The first thing to be said is that this is an attractively illustrated 64-page paperback, largely in colour, with maps, photos and original reconstructions by Peter Dennis of the sites of Tintagel, Wroxeter, Dinas Emrys, South Cadbury, Birdoswald and Bamburgh. The second thing to be noted, however, is that you have to use the utmost care in accepting the author’s statements as gospel: there are plenty of half-truths and out-of-date bits of information, such as the now-discredited old theories about Castle Dore in Cornwall having a Dark Age hall — subsequent work in the eighties showed there was no Dark Age occupation. The bibliography shows an over-reliance on books published in the 70s, since when much re-evaluation has gone into Late Antiquity. In fact the title of the book is a clear acknowledgement of an indebtedness to John Morris’ The Age of Arthur, a work which sadly is both misguided and unreliable.
If you take the text and artist’s reconstructions with a large pinch of salt then Angus Konstam’s book forms a useful introduction to the broad military background of the period; while its evocation of “the most famous warlord of the ‘Dark Ages’” and his “doomed” attempt to “unite the Britons in the face of Saxon invaders” demonstrates a largely uncritical belief in the historicity of Arthur. British Forts in the Age of Arthur seemed so promising, but for a booklet published in 2008 it is surprisingly and disappointingly out-of-date.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-outdated
The first thing to be said is that this is an attractively illustrated 64-page paperback, largely in colour, with maps, photos and original reconstructions by Peter Dennis of the sites of Tintagel, Wroxeter, Dinas Emrys, South Cadbury, Birdoswald and Bamburgh. The second thing to be noted, however, is that you have to use the utmost care in accepting the author’s statements as gospel: there are plenty of half-truths and out-of-date bits of information, such as the now-discredited old theories about Castle Dore in Cornwall having a Dark Age hall — subsequent work in the eighties showed there was no Dark Age occupation. The bibliography shows an over-reliance on books published in the 70s, since when much re-evaluation has gone into Late Antiquity. In fact the title of the book is a clear acknowledgement of an indebtedness to John Morris’ The Age of Arthur, a work which sadly is both misguided and unreliable.
If you take the text and artist’s reconstructions with a large pinch of salt then Angus Konstam’s book forms a useful introduction to the broad military background of the period; while its evocation of “the most famous warlord of the ‘Dark Ages’” and his “doomed” attempt to “unite the Britons in the face of Saxon invaders” demonstrates a largely uncritical belief in the historicity of Arthur. British Forts in the Age of Arthur seemed so promising, but for a booklet published in 2008 it is surprisingly and disappointingly out-of-date.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-outdated
August 28, 2019
Good Fortress series from Osprey. It makes the most of the limited information available, but manages to draw a reasonably convincing picture of what British forts would have looked like and what their function would have been.
The book starts by describing how the Romano-British had to deal with the disappearance of Roman authority and troops. Even the Roman fortifications were abandoned or reduced because the manpower to man them was no longer available. This must have been partly a result of decreased population, but also of social fragmentation. With the Romano-British falling out among themselves the centralised power to maintain standing armies and significant fortifications was no longer around.
The evidence for this book is largely archeological and is based on a limited number of locations. Obviously, fortifications of enduring materials were not common in this era.
The drawing by Peter Dennis are combined well with landscape photographs and plans of the fortifications and the last part of the book, showing how fortifications played a role in the larger conflict between Romano-British and the Germanic invaders and Pictish raiders, is really very enlighting.
The book starts by describing how the Romano-British had to deal with the disappearance of Roman authority and troops. Even the Roman fortifications were abandoned or reduced because the manpower to man them was no longer available. This must have been partly a result of decreased population, but also of social fragmentation. With the Romano-British falling out among themselves the centralised power to maintain standing armies and significant fortifications was no longer around.
The evidence for this book is largely archeological and is based on a limited number of locations. Obviously, fortifications of enduring materials were not common in this era.
The drawing by Peter Dennis are combined well with landscape photographs and plans of the fortifications and the last part of the book, showing how fortifications played a role in the larger conflict between Romano-British and the Germanic invaders and Pictish raiders, is really very enlighting.
February 28, 2012
Like the other books published by Osprey,'British Forts in the Age of Arthur' is a compact, illustrated exploration of a specialized subject, in this instance the forts built or reoccupied by those who remained in Britain, whether Brit or Saxon, after the Romans left.
While this so-called 'Dark Ages' period is the time in history when King Arthur, if he existed, would have lived, author Angus Konstam explains how sophisticated and resourceful the inhabitants of Britain remained after the occupying Romans departed.
Many ancient hill forts from the time before the Romans were re-inhabited, as tribes or 'kingdoms' vied for territory against each other, and ruled their domains from the high ground.
This was true of both British and Saxon settlers. The latter probably did NOT come in the form of a mass invasion, but there were tensions at certain places and in specific periods of time, when conflict did occur.
'British Forts...' examines some of these forts in detail, as well as giving a good overview of the subject, complete with illustrations.
While this so-called 'Dark Ages' period is the time in history when King Arthur, if he existed, would have lived, author Angus Konstam explains how sophisticated and resourceful the inhabitants of Britain remained after the occupying Romans departed.
Many ancient hill forts from the time before the Romans were re-inhabited, as tribes or 'kingdoms' vied for territory against each other, and ruled their domains from the high ground.
This was true of both British and Saxon settlers. The latter probably did NOT come in the form of a mass invasion, but there were tensions at certain places and in specific periods of time, when conflict did occur.
'British Forts...' examines some of these forts in detail, as well as giving a good overview of the subject, complete with illustrations.
June 13, 2014
Anything about sub-Roman Britain is catnip for me. Did Arthur and his contemporaries think of themselves as protecting the remnants of Christian civilazion from pagan Saxon hordes, or were they barbarian chieftains finally free from the Roman yoke and able once again to pillage anyone around? We'll never know, and we'll never stop wondering. This slim book is OK as far as it goes in shedding light on the period, but there's not really a book's worth of material. The few sub-Roman fortifications that have been located consisted of quickly-built walls of earth, rubble, and timber, and connecting the known ones to any historical or legendary figure is purely speculative.
January 24, 2019
Interesting look at the use of forts after the Romans left Britain.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews