The defence of the 9th-century kingdom of Wessex under King Alfred against the 'Great Viking Army' is one of the major military achievements of Early Medieval history.

While the guerrilla warfare in the Somerset marshes and the battle of Edington are characteristic of Alfred's military abilities, his definitive physical achievement was a series of some 30 well-structured fortifications (known as burhs) across the kingdom. Many of these fortifications survive to this day and some were even reinforced to stand up to German tanks in the expected invasion of 1940.

This illustrated volume describes their beginnings in the turbulent early years of Alfred's reign as well as their subsequent development and use.

Ryan Lavelle has written on numerous aspects of Anglo-Saxon life and politics, including a study of the reign of Aethelred II 'the Unready'. He holds a PhD from the University of Southampton and currently lectures at King Alfred's College, Winchester.

Donato Spedaliere was born in Switzerland, and moved to Tuscany at the age of ten, where he still lives. Having studied at the Instituto Nazionale di Belle Arti in Florence he served in the Italian Army as a paratrooper. He has worked as an illustrator for publishers in Italy and abroad and he is the chief illustrator of Alina Illustrazioni.