Hadrian's Wall

Archival Summary & Scope

Award-winning historian Adrian Goldsworthy delivers a concise, authoritative history of Hadrian's Wall, the Roman Empire's largest known artifact in Britain. Stretching eighty miles across northern England, the Wall is commonly viewed as a defiant barrier marking the edge of civilization. Goldsworthy skillfully debunks these myths, exploring the Wall's ingenious construction, daily life for its soldiers, and its surprising true purpose. He argues its primary function was to slow down raiders, not merely to exclude northern tribes, and that the Wall ultimately served its soldiers rather than the other way around. This compelling investigation offers fresh insights into one of the ancient world's most enduring architectural marvels.