'A unique and fascinating examination … Mintzker explodes commonly held historical myths while simultaneously placing what seems almost a historical footnote - the demolition of city walls - at the center of a massive transformation from an early modern world to a modern one. He seamlessly weaves together social, cultural, architectural, and political history … [This is] … an original historical work of astonishing power and scope. [He] relentlessly queries old verities and probes the 'true foundations' of cities by asking not what kinds of fortifications communities built but rather what kinds of communities fortifications constructed. It is a startlingly original and productive insight … [he] also deconstructs historical boundaries, allowing his sharp analytical insights to flow across centuries … a book that anyone interested in the sweep of European history will read with great profit and equal enjoyment.' Mary Lindemann, University of Miami.