Anatomy of the Castle

Fülszöveg

The word "castle" conjures up images ranging
from the stone-towered fortresses of medieval
Europe to huge royal dwellings that have never seen
a clash of arms. In fact, the true castle has a long, far-
ranging history that distinguishes it from the fort,
the palace and the mythical realms of Arthurian
England. Fortified dwellings built for strategic pur-
poses, their primary functions were to dominate the
surrounding landscape and deter aggression; failing
these, they were designed to withstand a siege.
Richly illustrated in full color, with panoramic
fold-outs, revealing photographic features that offer
glimpses inside these intriguing ancient structures,
and special artwork, Anatomy of the Castle traces the
origins of this majestic stronghold from worldwide
sources. They include Iron Age hill forts, Biblical
cities like Jericho, the Great Wall of China, Imperial
Roman lines of defense, the outposts of Byzantium
and other defended areas of human habitation.... Tovább

Fülszöveg

The word "castle" conjures up images ranging
from the stone-towered fortresses of medieval
Europe to huge royal dwellings that have never seen
a clash of arms. In fact, the true castle has a long, far-
ranging history that distinguishes it from the fort,
the palace and the mythical realms of Arthurian
England. Fortified dwellings built for strategic pur-
poses, their primary functions were to dominate the
surrounding landscape and deter aggression; failing
these, they were designed to withstand a siege.
Richly illustrated in full color, with panoramic
fold-outs, revealing photographic features that offer
glimpses inside these intriguing ancient structures,
and special artwork, Anatomy of the Castle traces the
origins of this majestic stronghold from worldwide
sources. They include Iron Age hill forts, Biblical
cities like Jericho, the Great Wall of China, Imperial
Roman lines of defense, the outposts of Byzantium
and other defended areas of human habitation.
First built by families and tribal groups, such for-
tified complexes on strategic sites grew in size and
importance. Eventually, they formed the nuclei of
walled towns and the formidable guardians of king-
doms' boundaries. Their form and features were
affected by many elements—military, dynastic,
cultural and architectural. Charlemagne, for example,
secured hegemony over most of Europe prior to
AD 800 because such defenses were few, but the
ensuing feudal age saw construction of numerous
multipurpose defensive centers—often atop precipi-
tous slopes or surrounded by water—with their
appurtenances of dungeon, keep, bailey, moat and
crenellated roofs and towers. Each successive advance
in the tactics of military attack gave rise to ever-
more-ingenious innovations in defensive elements
that were designed for newly built or adapted castle
structures, as described in these pages.
This fascinating volume concentrates on the cas-
tles that exerted most influence on the course of
history—from the Crusades through the Age of
Conquest and the perilous kingdoms of medieval
Europe—and continues into post-medieval and
early modern times, when longbows, battering rams
and catapults were eventually replaced by cannon
and mortar. Every aspect of the subject is explored
in John Gibson's authoritative and lively text, from
weapons technology and the principles of military
(Continued on back flap) Vissza