"The Wall Through deft prose and eagle-eyed research Moffat succeeds in restoring Hadrian's Wall to its former grandeur, cementing its place as one of the true wonders of the ancient world," - Scottish Field
"Much more than a history of Hadrian's Wall; it is also a concise history of Roman Britain from the first invasion by Julius Caesar to the abandonment of the province as Rome crumbled, and beyond. Moffat has added greatly to our understanding of a remarkable monument to an emperor whose ambitions were perhaps not matched by his judgment," - The Scotsman
Hadrian’s Wall is the largest single Roman monument in the world and the most impressive Roman legacy north of the Alps. In 2006 more than a million people visited some part of the 73-mile long site, and four years ago it became a World Heritage site and a path was laid out along its whole length.
The Wall tells the story of Hadrian’s Wall, its makers, its effect and its impact on northern Britain. An extravagant
folie de grandeur? An effective military barrier? A string of customs posts? Encompassing all of these things and much more, the Wall is a staggering phenomenon. With more than 24 million stones, its mass is greater than all of the Egyptian pyramids, and its scale is almost beyond grasp. 30,000 soldiers and craftsmen worked for 10 years to complete it, and when the great sea-wall down the Cumbrian coast was completed, it stretched for around 120 miles. Native kings must have shuddered at this amazing barrier. There is evidence that the garrison rendered the surface of the Wall and painted it white. A stunning statement of imperial power – throwing a girdle of stone across the waist of Britain.
The Wall will be the first substantial treatment of the Wall for 30 years. Incorporating much new research and taking the story right up to the present day, Alistair Moffat’s new book will present this remarkable and intriguing tale to the increasing numbers of visitors who walk the length of the Wall and marvel at Hadrian’s power, the technical audacity of the imperial army and the ability of native kings to inspire such a massive defence.
Alistair Moffat was born and raised in Kelso. He took degrees at the universities of St Andrews, Edinburgh and London and played rugby for Kelso and his universities. In 1976 he took charge of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as it grew into the largest arts festival in the world. He now lives in Selkirk.
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