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In the foreword, military historian and professor emeritus Wim Klinkert states that this book provides a wonderful insight into the origins, construction and functioning of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. And that is exactly what it is intended to do. It is not the individual forts that are in the spotlight, but the Defence Line of Amsterdam as a military deterrent system; an ingenious combination of impassable water, protected at the weak points by ‘armoured’ concrete defences, around the Dutch capital. Nowhere else in the world has this principle been applied so effectively. But how did that system of inundations and forts work, how was it built and what facilities were needed to survive within it for at least six months? How did the Defence Line fare during the First and Second World Wars and what was life like in the forts? These are some of the questions that this book aims to answer. And finally, we also look at the current and future value of this unique defence belt; what use are the forts, defence walls, roads and polders that make up the Defence Line today? The Defence Line of Amsterdam has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 and is more than worth passing on in good condition to future generations.

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