Author: Stephen Wyley (Author)

This journey began in the 1990’s with an interest in siegecraft, the devices for defence and attack, I was intrigued by the splendour and practicality of military architectural design, from the legendary forts of the Romans, the tenshus of Japan, to the fortified cities of the Low Countries, with their arrow headed bastions and ravelins. This evolved to the writing and publishing of various related articles and the raising of a fair few earthen and timber forts, and at least one stone ring fort.

This book follows in the footsteps of giants of the field from Heron of Byzantium (10th century), to Muller (1746) and Smith (1779) and I hope this dictionary aids the scholars and enthusiast in the understanding of the intricacies of the designs and their use. Even as I write this Russians have deployed ‘Dragon’s teeth’, land mines and trenches to slow the reconquest of the lands of Ukraine, and a steel and concrete anti-tank hedgehog has been moved from the Kyiv Museum and set up in the street outside.

Military architecture has developed over thousands of years and has been used worldwide to defend and attack large things like borders, cities, ports, cities, towns, villages, castles and forts. It all started with the works of the Egyptians, Hittites, Greeks and Romans, using materials as simple earth, turf, stone, brick, timber, iron and concrete. So this book covers the military architecture of Europe, the Americas and Asia and everywhere in between.

The elements of military architecture increased in sophistication over time with changes in modes and machines of attack and defence from escalade to mining, from trebuchet to cannon, siege engines and battering rams to tanks, missiles and drones.
With this book I have not sought to provide a preferred definition but to present how the terms have been used in the past, and how they are used today. This book is provided with drawings and photographs of various aspects of military architecture and siegecraft. The objective of this book is for helpful reference for military historians, historical re-enactors, war gamers, cosplayers, fictional writers, and those for study or discussion concerning the development and the historical significance of military architecture, and therefore all words and meanings pertaining to the subject qualify for inclusion.