The Fortress of Rhodes 1309-1522, Konstantin Nossov

The Fortress of Rhodes 1309-1522, Konstantin Nossov

Fortress 96

The fortress of Rhodes was one of the most impressive fortresses of its time, and is very important in the history of western fortifications. It was hardly modified after it fell to the Turks in 1522, and so we can see what efforts were made to counter the increasing threat of gunpowder weapons in the years before the appearance of the fully developed gunpowder fortress.

The success of this book owes a great deal to the survival of large parts of the fortress of Rhodes in almost the same condition as well it fell to the Turks in 1522. This has allowed the author to include a huge number of photographs showing the exact features he is discussing, and really brings the place alive.

Nossov also does a very good job of explaining how the defences of Rhodes evolved, especially in the forty years between the two big Turkish sieges. This was the period that saw the medieval walls replaced by lower wider walls designed to both withstand and to carry cannon.

Nossov finishes with a look at the sieges of 1480 and 1522, giving us a good idea of how the fortifications stood up to attack, eventually falling more because of the small size of the garrison than because of any flaws in the fortifications themselves.

Chapters
Introduction
Chronology
Design and Development
The Principles of Defence
Tour of the Fortress
The Living Sites
The Fortress at War
Aftermath
Glossary

Author: Konstantin Nossov
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 64
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2010


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