From 1600 BC urban civilisation in Greece began to thrive and the power of a number of warlord states began to be felt around the Aegean. This period of Greek development and prosperity is called the Late Helladic or Mycenaean period, a time when Greek society was constantly geared for battle and invasion, and cities were fortress-like with extremely thick perimeter walls. Mycenae, Tiryns, Argos, Krisa, the Athenian Acropolis and Gla are all representative of the fortified citadels that dominated the Greek countryside for over 2000 years. This title charts the histories of the fortresses inhabited by Homer's heroes, detailing their development, use in war and eventual decline.

Author Biography

Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines for seven years, and then returned to university to complete a BA and PhD in Ancient History at Newcastle. Formerly the Assistant Director at the British School of Archaeology, Athens, Nic is now a lecturer in Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh. Donato Spedaliere was born in 1967 in Lausanne, Switzerland, and moved to Tuscany at the age of 10, where he still lives. Since 1995 he has worked as a professional illustrator for publishers in Italy and abroad. Sarah Sulemsohn Spedaliere was born in Romania in 1952. Her family emigrated to Israel when she was 10. Following a degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Sarah lectured at the University of Florence and completed an architecture degree in 1994. Sarah and Donato founded Alina Illustrazione in 1998, and have both worked as illustrators for the company ever since.