In the Shadow of Vauban

From the highlands of Scotland to the lowlands of Flanders, from the American frontier to the Balkans, the attack and defence of fortified places helped shape warfare throughout the eighteenth century and into the Napoleonic Wars. Though the age of Vauban and Coehoorn was coming to an end as the eighteenth century opened, it would cast a long shadow down as late as 1815. Commanders as varied as Frederick the Great, George Washington, Napoleon, and Wellington would have to shape their operations to account for fortified locations and the need to neutralise them. This collection of 10 case studies examines the construction of fortifications, their role in dictating strategy, and the mechanics – military, logistical, and medical – of carrying out a siege.

In the Shadow of Vauban draws on papers presented at the 2024 From Reason to Revolution conference but also adds new material to cover a wider range of topics. Contributors include a number of well-known historians, including Alexander S. Burns, Gavin Daly, and Mark S. Thompson, as well as experts from the Fortress Study Group. The resulting collection of studies will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of warfare during this era, covering both the scientific theory of siege warfare and the bitter and brutal reality.