Hess, Earl J. War Underground. A History of Military Mining in Siege Warfare

From ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese warfare to the battles of the First World War, military mining was an essential part of siege warfare. Armies dug tunnels under castle walls, dug trenches through no man's land and laid confusing defensive counter mines. These tactics for attacking enemy fortifications and positions by creating underground access have adapted to changes in warfare, technology, geography and culture. Although its use declined after 1918, when speed and movement took precedence over capturing bases, military mining remains a viable strategy today. Although military historians have treated mining in passing in virtually every study of siege warfare, it has yet to be treated in depth and comprehensively as a topic in its own right. Now, in this first book-length study on the subject, military historian Earl Hess comprehensively addresses the topic of military mining from its earliest origins through the 21st century. In "War Underground", Hess offers a comprehensive study of the use of offensive and defensive military mining in more than 300 sieges from around the world and spanning nearly three millennia. The result is an impressively broad and comprehensive treatment of the great history of military mining, offering new insights into the development and progression of the strategy since its ancient origins.