Simon Adams was born in Bristol and studied at London and Bristol universities. He then worked as an editor of children's reference and other non-fiction books before becoming a full-time writer 15 years ago. Since then, he has written and contributed to more than 50 books on subjects as varied as American history, the sinking of the Titanic, the two world wars and the history of jazz. He lives in London and is a keen cyclist and walker. Instantly recognizeable as the 'Two Men in a Trench', Tony Pollard and Neil Oliver made their name in the successful BBC programme of that name. These historians have an in-depth knowledge of battlefield archaeology, and have revised many of the accepted versions of events on six major British battlefield sites.

The first forts - Tryns, Iron Age hill forts, Masada, Roman fortifications; Ait-Ben-Haddou; the great age of castles (motte and baileys castles) - stone castles, Chateau Gaillard, concentric castles, Krak des Chevaliers, castles on the Rhine, Alhambra, fortress towns of Europe, Himeji, Sacsahuaman, Golconda; the end of an era (Ticondoroga) - Fort Sumter, Eureka Stockade, Fort Douamont; romatic ruins, understanding castle and fort ruins.