April 2025. Ba Khe, near the village of Cát Thịnh, Yên Bái Province, Vietnam. I am exploring the old Route Coloniale 13 west of Yen Bai, retracing the ground fought over during the October 1951 battle for Nghĩa Lộ. This is steep, broken country. The road winds through narrow valleys, overlooked by sharply rising hills, with restricted movement corridors and very little room to manoeuvre once committed.
October 2024, Orléans, south side of the Loire River. I am exploring the Hundred Years War battle locations around the city of Orléans. On this site on 7 May 1429, a French Army led by Count John Dunois, ‘The Bastard of Orléans’, and Captain La Hire, and inspired by Jeanne d’Arc, a 17-year old French peasant girl from Domremy, defeated a strong English force defending the ‘Tourelles’ fortress on the southern bank of the Loire River. The Tourelles controlled access across the Pont bridge into the French-held city of Orleans.
April 2025. Nà Sản, Vietnam. Our next stop was at the old fortified ‘hedgehog’ of Nà Sản, just east of Son La. The French and Viet Minh fought a massive battle here in late 1952, the outcome of which convinced the French that holding a remote airbase and using superior French firepower to defeat enemy attacks was a valid strategy. Dien Bien Phu says – “Hold my beer!”
October 2025, Liege, Belgium. I am visiting the ring of great forts that once protected the Belgian city of Liège. In the 1880s, the Belgians constructed a series of forts to protect Liège against a potential German attack.
The twelve forts of Liege could cover the approaches and support the neighbouring forts. The forts are: Fort Liers, Pontisse, Barchon, Evegnee, Fléron, Chaudfontaine, d’Embourg, Boncelles, Flemalle, Hollogne, Loncin, and Lantin.
Kerak Castle, in present-day Jordan, is one of the best-preserved castles in the Levant. Ruled by Raynald de Châtillon, the castle played a crucial role in the late 12th century as a strategic outpost of the Crusader Kingdom of Outremer. Kerak was subjected to three major sieges in 1183, 1184, and 1187-88, as part of Saladin’s campaign to eliminate the Crusader presence in the Levant.
The siege of Alesia in 52 BC was the culmination of Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and his battle against the Gallic leader Vercingetorix. Caesar wrote about it in his book ‘Battles for Gaul’ as part of his self-promotion effort.
Vercingetorix and Alesia are the basis for René Goscinny’s ‘Asterix and Obelisk’ cartoons. The siege of Alesia also features in the opening episode of HBO’s series ‘Rome’ when Legionary Titus Pullo breaks ranks to fight the Gauls, and Centurion Lucius Verenus has to go after him. Vercingetorix is taken prisoner and imprisoned by Caesar – all set at Alesia. Titus Pullo and Lucius Verenus were real Roman soldiers – Caesar wrote specifically about them and their exemplary courage.
The Battle of Riyadh in January 1902 was a critical moment in the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Al Saud family had previously established two states centered on the Diriyah/Riyadh area of Arabia, each of which was destroyed by rival powers. The capture of Riyadh in 1902 was the first in a series of wars that led to the third Saudi state in 1932.
The Battle of Sacsayhuamán was a significant milestone in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. While the Inca warriors demonstrated bravery and tenacity, they were unable to overcome the superior weaponry and tactics of the Spanish conquistadors. The Spanish victory at Sacsayhuamán ended the Inca attempt to reclaim Cusco.
La Cabaña: Spain’s Response to the Capture of Havana! Built after the British capture of Havana in 1762, the Fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña (1763–1774) was Spain’s answer to securing the Caribbean. The massive Vauban-style bastion complex dominated Havana harbour, served as a prison and execution ground in later centuries, and today remains… Read More »⚔️ Fortress of San Carlos,
Havana, Cuba,
1763-1774