I bought this book based on the title without having a chance to examine it. Had I had the chance, I would have picked something else to read first. The book is extremely detailed in it's review of the wall and of earlier writings on the subject, but the author has assumed a certain level of knowledge on the part of the reader. For those people well versed in the basics of the wall and it's study, I would highly recommend the book. The author's theories about the wall being as much an offensive weapon as defensive are certainly worth a look, as are his criticisms of earlier studies. He brings up a number of inconsistencies in some often accepted ideas. But for all the strengths, you need to understand some things that are not well explained in this book. Readers without a strong base of the local geography will often be lost (no pun intended) by his descriptions of geographical features and local sights. The pictures are almost useless for forming a general idea of what the wall looks like. In short, too detailed for a first book on the subject, but a valuable purchase for those who want a more in-depth look.