Kent has been on England’s first line of defence. In all major conflicts many people in the county have lived closer to the enemy in Europe than they did to London. Much of the county’s coastline has been the site of training and weapon development, which adds to the interest of military sites in this area. Michael Foley’s new book delves into the long history of military Kent, from Roman forts to Martello towers, built to keep Napoleon out, from the ambitious Royal Military Canal, which cost an equivalent of GBP10 million in today’s money but was abandoned after seventy years, to wartime airfields and underground Cold War installations. Illustrated with a wide range of photographs, maps, drawings, engravings and paintings, Front-Line Kent also includes location and access details for the sites that are illustrated and described. This lively and informative book will appeal to anyone interested in Kent’s history, whether or not a military specialist.