The Great Wall of China 221 BC-1644 AD (Fortress) [Paperback]

Stephen Turnbull (Author), Steve Noon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2007 | Series: Fortress (Book 57)

The Great Wall of China is the most extensive and famous example of fortification in the world. Charting its development from construction in the 7th century BC through to the present day, this account reveals the true history of the wall, and explores the myths that surround it.

Stretching over 4,000 miles, the Great Wall began as a collection of defensive walls built by the northern vassal states under the Chou dynasty. With the unification of China in 221 BC the walls were interlinked and extended to fight off the invaders from the North. The wall as it is seen today is almost entirely the result of major renovations that started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368 AD and took 200 years to complete.

Included are details of what it was like to live within the wall, the ideas behind the defensive systems, how it was garrisoned and patrolled, and a discussion of how effective it was against attack. Through extensive examination of both ancient and modern sources, color maps, artwork and photographs, this book illustrates why the wall is one of the great wonders of the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...does a great job in describing the world's longest fortifiged wall." -J. E. Kauffman, Site-O

"...Turnbull's work is surprisingly detailed and informative... This book will prove an excellent resource for a prospective visitor or teacher in the classroom." -Timothy Baghurst, The Traveler

"The author, Stephen Turnbull, does a superb job of taking a huge amount of information and compressing it into the basics... This is all further enhanced by excellent photographs of the wall as it is today and the stunning illustrations and maps provided by Steve Noon. Together it provides an outstanding primer on this most imposing construct. I learned a great deal from this book and I know you will too. Like all Osprey titles, it is one you can buy with confidence." -Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com

"This is a fascinating book, well written and well illustrated... It is highly recommended to anyone interested in the history of fortifications or non-Western warfare." -Bolling Smith, The Coast Defense Journal

About the Author

Dr. Stephen Turnbull, a leading authority on Japanese history, has an MA in Theology and an MA in Military History, in addition to a PhD from Leeds University for his work on Japanese religious history. He has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East and also runs a well-used picture library. His work has been recognized by the awarding of the Canon Prize of the British Association for Japanese Studies and a Japan Festival Literary Award. He is a lecturer in Japanese Religion at the University of Leeds. The author lives in Leeds, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846030048
• ISBN-13: 978-1846030048
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 0.2 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #487,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent summary of the Great Wall of China, April 19, 2007

By 

lordhoot "lordhoot" (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Wall of China 221 BC-1644 AD (Fortress) (Paperback)

In 63 pages, Stephen Turnbull does an excellent job in tracing the development and history of the Great Wall of China. This book clearly explained how the concept of the Great Wall was a long term strategic consideration on the minds of every Chinese dynasty since the very first one, the Qin Dynasty. From Mr. Turnbull, the reader can clearly understand that it was the Chinese military's inablity to contest and control the nomadic tribes north of their borders the forced them to built these series of walls. The Chinese probably used the concept of mobile reserves to contest any raiding parties much like the Romans did at the Hadrian Wall. The case of major invasion, the wall was supposed to pin the enemy army until the main army can deal with them. That proves to be more tricky then reality.

The book also reflects how the "Great Wall" were built in spruge of sections and it wasn't until the Ming Dynasty that the wall we see today was built and completed. But as the author ironically states, just as the walls were completed, the Ming Dynasty fell to the new Manchu Dynasty who took over by simply walking through the Great Wall thanks to a traitor. Like in all lessons of history, the fortification is only good as the troops who manned it. Funny that the wall was built to prevent people like the Manchus from taking over and it utterly failed the first time it was tested.

The book comes well illustrated with maps, drawings and photos that proves not only useful to the text but also bring a pretty clear understanding to the subject. The author's command of the subject is pretty clear as he writes with clarity and understanding. This book should proves to be an excellent introduction to anyone who is interested in the Great Wall of China and should provides an excellent foundation for further study of the Great Wall of China if one should desire it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Reminds Me of a Master's Thesis, May 19, 2008

By 

Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Wall of China 221 BC-1644 AD (Fortress) (Paperback)

The Great Wall of China is the most impressive defensive system the world has ever seen. The Great Wall of China is not a single fortress line but a series of walls that span over 6,000 kilometers. The construction of these walls span from 221 BC to 1644. Obviously, any book that wants to cover the Great Wall has a lot of great history to cover.

Osprey Publishing has a stable of military writers they can turn to when they need a book cranked out. Stephen Turnbull is their Japan expert. I guess this qualifies him to write a book on the Great Wall. Turnbull has read most of the modern English language sources and has taken a vacation to China. He has taken all that information and boiled it down to fit into Osprey's 64 page format. Turnbull is a competent writer and it is an easy book to read. Unfortunately, I got the sense that Turnbull is just going through the paces and the genuine enthusiasm he brings to his Japanese books is missing in this volume.

The Great Wall of China is one of those pleasant volumes that are best purchased used. There is nothing wrong with the book but I am not sure that it was worth $16.95 for a glorified master's thesis. I have an appetite to learn more about the Great Wall and I am going to have to look elsewhere to have that thirst quenched.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chapters survey its defensive measures and provide plenty of vintage illustration, maps and more., April 9, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Wall of China 221 BC-1644 AD (Fortress) (Paperback)

Stephen Turnbull's THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA 221 BC-AD 1644 examines the history of the most famous fortification in the world, considering the realities, myths, and military history of how the wall was conceived, built, and patrolled. Chapters survey its defensive measures and provide plenty of vintage illustration, maps and more.