Castles. A history of fortified structures ancient, medieval & modern

Castles. A history of fortified structures ancient, medieval & modern

Stephenson, Ch. (ed).

Paperback, 288 pp. Very richly illustrated. The Ivy press. 2012.

While the word 'castle' conjures up an image of the classic medieval stone edifice, resplendent with towers and turrets, battlements and barbicans, and the old oubliette, the impuls to build defensive works is as old as civilisation itself; and the evolution of such architecture not only encompasses global cultures but is also a physical expression of the changing face of military tactics and technology.
Castles takes a uniquely achitectural approach to deconstructing all forms of fortification, showing how the work of architect, stonemason and engineer evolved to repel the increasingly destructive power of an attack, from siege engine to artillery.