The great walled castles of the medieval world continue to fascinate the modern world. Today, the remains of medieval forts and walls throughout Europe are popular tourist sites. Unlike many other books on castles, "The Medieval Fortress" is unique in its comprehensive treatment of these architectural wonders from a military perspective."The Medieval Fortress" includes an analysis of the origins and evolution of castles and other walled defenses, a detailed description of their major components, and the reasons for their eventual decline. The authors, acclaimed fortification experts J.E. and H.W. Kaufmann, explain how the military strategies and weapons used in the Middle Ages led to many modifications of these structures. All of the representative types of castles and fortifications are discussed, from the British Isles, Ireland, France, Germany, Moorish Spain, Italy, as far east as Poland and Russia, as well as Muslim and Crusader castles in the Middle East. Over 200 photographs and 300 extraordinarily detailed technical drawings, plans, and sketches by Robert M. Jurga accompany and enrich the main text.

The Atlantic Wall is perhaps the most famous of Germany's World War II-era fortification lines in Europe, but Hitler built many others, from elabourate coastal defences along the English Channel to the nearly impervious lines protecting the German homeland-the massive West Wall and the hurriedly built East Wall. Fortress Third Reich is the first and only comprehensive treatment of Germany's World War II fortifications and the important Nazi defensive systems, such as the Reich's highly feared air defence. The authors present an in-depth and detailed account of all German fortifications and defensive systems of World War II, supplemented by scores of remarkable technical drawings by Robert M. Jurga.

On September 1, 1939, Adolph Hitler inaugurated a new style of warfare-blitzkrieg-that terrorized Europe for half a decade. This "lightning war" provoked panic in millions and led to the downfall of entire nations: Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland and, one of the greatest military powers of the day, France. By summer of 1940, Hitler's triumphant blitzkrieg cam-paigns gave his armies a veneer of invincibility. Yet, the German strongman had not achieved complete victory, causing Europe to plummet into world war.Hitler's Blitzkrieg Campaigns: The Invasion and Defense of Western Europe, 1939-1940 is an in-depth study of Hitler's early campaigns in World War II. It describes in detail the German forces that were used in blitzkrieg and the Allied armies that stood against them, the many weapons fielded, and the offensive and defensive strategies that were employed.The book presents some of the most complete maps of these early World War II campaigns, complex diagrams of the Maginot fortifications and orders of battle for German, French and British armies. Unlike most treatments of the campaigns which focus on British contributions to the war against Hitler in 1939-1940, the authors also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the other Allies-Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.This is a book about an evolution in warfare. It tells how the Germans were able to master modern weapons to make an awesome military machine for frightful purposes and about the initial Allied attempts to stop its march across Europe.Richly illustrated with photos, maps and diagrams