.Watson presents five sieges for detailed analysis. The author utilizes the methodology John Keegan developed to define sieges as a form of battle and to explore the categories of combat--those relationships of men versus weapons and the commitment to battle on the part of the contestants--which determined the outcome of battles and wars. Watson's unique study is a contribution to the study of siege warfare and provides a background for understanding the Gulf War--which, Watson shows, was a siege--as well as contemporary global conflict.

The sieges--Jerusalem, Malta, Sebastopol, Kut-al-Amara, and Singapore--are analyzed in great detail. From his analysis, Watson developes a set of characteristics of sieges that is useful for understanding the siege--a form of battle that has been with us for a long time and that will remain a major element of modern warfare. Students of military history and tactics--buffs and professionals--will find value and entertainment in this provocative study.