York's Military Legacy is an exhaustive account of the battles fought in or near -- or were otherwise connected to -- York, a strategically important and historically rich city in northern England, from Roman times up through the Cold War of the mid-20th century.

Its scope is immense, and yet this book by Ian D. Rotherham falls short of expectations.

I visited York close onto two decades ago, and I was captivated by its ancient walls and gates. It -- far more than London, at the time the only other English city I had spent much time in -- retained a sense of age and history. I longed to learn more about it, but I never followed through -- until now. Having recently moved to York, Pennsylvania, I found myself even more interested in learning about my new home's namesake. So when this book popped up among the offerings of Pen & Sword, whose history books I have largely found fascinating and educational, I quickly added it to my list of review requests.

This book, with fewer than 125 pages -- many of which are dominated by maps, photos and illustrations -- perhaps sets its sights too high. Rotherham covers a vast span of British history, but there are not enough pages in the book to give the names and dates much detail or context.

It's also a bit repetitive. For instance, in the chapter "Harrying of the North," which follows the Norman conquest of England, Rotherham writes on page 38: "The Harrying, sometimes described as genocide, took place over the winter of 1069/70...." A mere three pages later, he describes William's efforts to defeat Saxon and Viking resistance to his reign: "This policy, described by some as genocide, was implemented during the winter of 1069/70." That's sloppy writing.

I can't criticize the amount of research Rotherham put into this book. But he touches so briefly on pivotal moments in history that the book reads more like a summary; he provides a synopsis of the book I wanted to read, a recitation of data without meaning or flavor.

Rotherham provides the skeleton but leaves the reader wanting meat.