In Battle Stations, Toronto author Stephen Shapiro indulges his interest in military history to outline the ways we have defended ourselves over the past 3,500 years, and how those ways have evolved to meet changing needs.

Shapiro examines 10 defensive structures, from an ancient Egyptian fort to the Star Wars missile defense system, although the last is stretching the definition of fortification. The selection ranges from the obscure (Caesar’s ramparts in Gaul, which were designed to keep people in rather than out) to the well known (the Maginot Line), and from the large (China’s Great Wall) to the modest (Martello Towers on England’s south coast). Each is presented in a double-page spread with a column of text and a large cutaway illustration with descriptive notations.

The text is readable and the language appropriate, although more bloodthirsty readers will regret that half the structures were never fought over. There is some simplification (it was more than just the density of trees that made the French think that the German tanks couldn’t outflank the Maginot Line) but the explanations of why fortifications had to evolve – for example, the introduction of gunpowder – are informative.

The illustrations are colourful and clear and the reconstructions accurate. Inserts within the illustrations explain interesting details, such as how a floor was hidden in a Japanese castle and why a diamond-shaped bastion works better than a square or a round one.

An introductory spread discusses the role of fortifications through history and presents a brief timeline and glossary. At the end of the book are short sections on siege defences, body defences, camouflage, tanks, and a useful index.

Battle Stations is a well-presented book that will appeal mainly to boys who have an interest in building forts and playing with toy soldiers. I suspect, however, that many will wish for more about the soldiers who lived and died in these places.