ePub The Forts of Colonial North America: British; Dutch and Swedish colonies (Fortress) by Rene Chartrand in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. ... interesting and if your a fortress enthusiast you will love it! The pictures were wonderful along with the ...By guardian to the gate of foreverThis book was very interesting and if your a fortress enthusiast you will love it! The pictures were wonderful along with the descriptions from the primary sources written or drawings of the forts. The pictures of Albany and Schenectady I found particularly interesting since they are near where I live. If you don't have prior knowledge of fort architecture in this period you might want to check out the glossary first which might be a little helpful but a picture showing where these things are might help even more. Still its better than other osprey books when it comes to beginners on the subject.A couple faults in the book that there were way too many areas to cover the history of major forts was sometimes very rushed. Some States like New York (although rightly so given its strategic importance and the sheer amount of forts built in the state) get much attention while Rhode Island and Connecticut get short paragraphs. The dutch and Swedish section should really have been removed; although interesting history; it really just took up space. Another issue was the Forts today was very brief. No mention of Ticonderoga or any famously restored fort museums. This could have made it much better.overall I'd give it 4 1/2 stars just because the sheersize of the topic it covered. It did a good job showing the uniqueness of the forts.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Some forgotten forts; some not forgotten...By HMS WarspiteThis Opsrey Fortress book is one of a sub-set on "The Forts of Colonial North America"; the emphasis here is on the British; Dutch; and Swedish colonies that sprang up between the 15th and 18th century. Veteran Osprey author Rene Chartrand does the honors; along with illustrator Donato Spedaliere.European Colonial North America featured a number of small settlements in its early years; vulnerable to hostile Indians and to attacks by other European powers. The threat prompted a variety of defensive fortifications; from simple timber stockades to full-scale European style brick and stone fortresses. Author Chartrand covers the often neglected New Netherlands and New Sweden forts first. These colonies were relatively short-lived and their fortifications were often abandoned or subsumed into later works.The British colonies of North America ranged from Canada to Florida; each with its own unique threats. Of note; many of the fortifications covered here were often started by towns or colonies; some were later taken over by the British government for further improvement. Some were destroyed in wars with the French and Indians.This is a fascinating book; although this reviewer wishes it had been split into two volumes. The narrative rolls a little too briskly through the forts by geographic locations. The text is much enhanced by some excellent period pictures and more modern photographs and illustrations. A few of the forts have survived in one fashion or another to the present and can still be seen. Highly recommended to the general reader interested in colonial history and to the student of military art.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive look at forts in colonial historyBy Steven PetersonPage 5 lays out the coverage of this book. Here; we see a map of the eastern seaboard with major forts of the time. Among the countries whose forts are depicted throughout the slender Osprey volume in the "Fortress" series: British; French; Spanish; Dutch; and Swedish. From Newfoundland to Florida; from Philadelphia to Fort Pitt to Niagara and Venango. The text notes (Page 4): "The forts built in the Thirteen Colonies were extremely varied in type and were built in very large numbers." Another quick note: Few of the forts were made of masonry. And many hundreds of forts were ramble scramble affairs built by the colonists themselves. A chronology on pages 6-7 notes the story of forts--from the 16th century to 1763. The coverage includes forts in Canada as well.But it is the story of the forts themselves that is at the heart of this story. So many are discussed in the sixty pages of text means that there is little depth on any of these. However; the breadth of consideration still brings value to this work.Among the early forts? Fort Raleigh (named after Sir Walter; who sponsored expeditions of settlement) on Roanoke Island in 1585. Forts that are diagrammed from the very early years include Fort Comfort (near Hampton; Virginia); Fort George (in Maine); Fort Amsterdam (in New Amsterdam [now New York]); and James Fort (in Jamestown; VA). The three British forts and the one Dutch fort were constructed in the early 1600s. Other forts are considered as well. Some random examples: the Dutch fort; built in 1709; Fort Stillwater (along the Hudson River); Fort Christina (a Swedish fort); built along the Delaware River; where Wilmington; Delaware now stands.The book concludes with an all too brief discussion of life in the forts and then another one paragraph on the fate of these forts (most; of course; no longer exist); although some have been restored.In the end; a nice--albeit thin--book providing entree to forts of North America.