Product Description
Mark Twain once famously said "there was but one solitary thing about the past worth remembering, and that was the fact that it is past and can't be restored."  Well, over recent years, The British Library, working with Microsoft has embarked on an ambitious programme to digitise its collection of 19th century books.

There are now 65,000  titles available  (that's an incredible 25 million pages) of material ranging from works by famous names such as  Dickens, Trollope and Hardy as well as many forgotten literary gems , all of which can now be printed on demand and purchased right here on Amazon.

Further information on The British Library and its digitisation programme can be found on The British Library website. ... Read more

Product Description
Visit 40 stunning historic Mediterranean revival homes in Florida, captured inside and out in over 350 images. Architects featured include Addison Mizner, Maurice Fatio, Marion Sims Wyeth, John Volk, James Gamble Rogers II, Richard Kiehnel, and John Elliot. The homes include family-scale creations set along charming suburban streets along with mammoth oceanfront pleasure palaces of the rich and famous, including Donald Trump's magnificent historic landmark, the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Gorgeous coffee table book
This is a beautifully photographed record of the many spectacular Mediterranean Revival homes in Florida. It would be a wonderful addition to any collection of large art and architecture books and particularly attractive on a coffee table or console. The text is interesting and informative, but the lush color photography is the real star. A inspiration for both admirers of Mediterranean architecture and professional architects and designers. ... Read more

Product Description
-vol. CASTLES: Their Construction and History, Sidney Toy. Concise, scholarly survey traces castle development from ancient roots. Nearly 200 photographs and drawings illustrate moats, keeps, baileys, many other features. Caernarvon, Dover castles, Hadrian’s Wall, Tower of London, dozens more. 199 black-and-white illustrations. Preface. Index. Footnotes.
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Customer Reviews (6)

Castles: Their Construction and History by Sidney Toy
Castles: Their Construction and History by Sidney Toy gives details and floor-plans of many castle. Well written, with many illustrations, very useful for student of castle details. Recommended.

Could be Better
This is unfortunately another book on castles which spends more time describing details rather than explaining or synthesizing. I am looking for a book which shows how castle building evolved, and which makes use of illustrations - not prose - to describe the details. I would say the text in this book can be cut by 80% if well constructed diagrams replace the lengthy descriptions. The remaining 20% would constitute the interesting part of this book. Not that it would be sufficient to understand the history.

Can anyone write something like that? Although this one is better than others, none comes close to be an interesting study. Maybe a single author can't cut it, and both an architect and a historian need to be involved.

Timeless Work
This book was written in the 1930's but it is indeed a timeless record of castles from BC to the age of fortifications.I first thought that this was too old of a book but after reading it, it is clearly a great castle book.The real treasure is that it was compiled before Hitler bombed the crap out of Europe.It is chronilogical.It is referenced perfectly.The illustrations include floor plans with scales and north arrows.Building sections keyed to the floor plans.Renderings and photographs keyed to the text.Sidney takes you thru all the different building types and features that make a castle.My favorite is the "Keep".The text is very easy to follow.I was amazed at Sidney's gift of describing without the aid of photographs and drawings castle configurations.I recommend this book to anyone who wants a book that gets to the core of the subject of castles.

Just the facts.
There is no fluff and no romanticizing. This book is just plain hows and whys on castle construction and their evolution from wooden stockades to stone fortresses. It examines the changes in defenses as warfare evolved. It is dry reading, but this is bare bones information with no fantasizing....just what I wanted.

Sometimes too technical, but very helpful!
I bought this book because, well to put it plainly, I have always wanted to design a castle of my own.Having no real talent for architecture, I thought I'd see how others had done it before, and why they made thedecisions they did.This book does a lot for the novice who wants to learnthese things, but does so with enough illustrations to keep the readersinterest through the text.I can see why another reviewer said it wouldmake a good textbook -- it reads like one, and provides quite theeducation!

Add it to a military history collection, a chivalric textscollection, or to your Lego room for the next time you want a more powerfulcastle than the kit suggests (but, putting little lego men heads on pikesat the gates may be going overboard). ... Read more

Product Description
Castles and Cathedrals is a supplementary text in the Cambridge History Programme for key stage 3. It meets the requirements of supplementary study unit category A, extending the work undertaken in Medieval Britain. This full-colour text looks at the developing architecture of castles and cathedrals - the buildings which symbolise the most powerful forces in the medieval world. Through a combination of primary and secondary sources it examines what these buildings can reveal of the people who inhabited them and of medieval society in general. Castles and Cathedrals features: * enquiry-based units which pose key historical questions * a careful balance of investigation and explanation * overview sections which introduce and consolidate themes and concepts * an Attainment Target matrix for pupils and teachers * activities ranging in difficulty which enable pupils to meet the attainment targets ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book!
This book is an excellent introduction to castles, particularly for young adult readers.The illustrations and photos are excellent, and the captions help readers understand the purposes for building castles.It also shows the evolution of architecture over a period of time, and an introduction to life in a castle.The book also poses questions and excercises that help kids think beyond the information presented. Overall, this is an ideal book ... Read more

Product Description
Britain and Ireland must be amongst the most spectrally populous parts of the world, and this book is a must for anyone interested in the ranks of headless spectres and ghastly ghouls that inhabit the country's castles. Region by region, renowned ghost-seeker Richard Jones reveals, explains and delights in the tales of tortured phantoms eager to restage their dark and turbulent past. They are all included here, from the ghostly queens that hurl themselves from the ramparts to the malevolent monks that wander the corridors - and from the shades that tour the infamous Tower of London to the grief-stricken white lady who may or may not have attended Madonna's wedding at Dornoch's legendary Skibo Castle. Richard Jones's authoritative and entertaining guide to haunted sites is handsomely designed and illustrated throughout with spectacular photographs, detailed, four-colour maps and extracts from original documents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

So worth it!
This book is worth getting! Ive always been interested in Ghost & Hauntings anyways, so its handy to have a book like this one!

Excellent Can Be Used as a Travel Guide Book, Historical Reference or Just to Learn Ghost Stories!
This is as good a guide book as I've seen on castles (or ruins of castles) for the UK and Ireland. let alone one that covers the history of those castles and tells the reader about the ghosts who supposedly reside there.Inside most castles have colour photographs of the castle or ruins mentioned (some of the ruins also have sketches of the original castle as well).Richard Jones also tells the history of when they were built, who owned them, who lives in them now (if relevant) and all about the person or people who were killed there and now supposedly won't leave.
You'll learn some fascinating stuff such as the horrible way King Edward 11 did in Berkley Castle as punishment for not hurrying up and dying after being locked by the Queen in one of the castle cell's in a dungeon filled with rotting animals after five months.

The book is quite well done. The author states in the intro that he doesn't believe ghosts are dead people but does believe in them (his theory is they are a strong emotion that somehow became recorded on its surroundings and is waiting for the right person to come along and press play. So he gives an account from an impartial objective of tales he has come across not stating the ghosts are real just that people have said they were there. Although he does state at some of the castles while researching something made him feel uneasy.

I've lived Ireland for a year and extensively backpacked the UK and Ireland as well. If I'd had this book I certainly would have gone to a lot of castles I didn't even know existed. Plus I visited some of the castles in here and didn't even know they were supposedly haunted. Like I said before even if you're not interested in the ghost element this book tells you where a fair number of castles or ruins actually are (complete with maps of the part of the UK/Ireland showing where they are).

The book only has castles supposedly haunted (and ones the public can access) so isn't a comprehensive list of every castle but I've never come across a book with more castles than this one.Some major castles like Edinburgh Castle for example aren't in here but they're pretty hard to miss anyway. The book is fairly large in height and width so wouldn't really be ideal for the backpack but if you're taking a driving holiday or want to plan your journey before going it would be ideal. Anyone who has to do a school assignment would be hard to pass this great record of British and Irish medieval up as well.
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Book Description
Filled with spectacular color photos and intriguing detail, these informative books belong in the library of every student of architecture.

Historic fortifications are presented both as unique architectural examples and as statements about the time and place in which they were built. ... Read more

Product Description
The influence of the castle, both on the course of history and on the lives of the people who lived in them, has never been fully explored-until now. This fascinating book examines the evolution of the medieval castle, from the rigid social structure of its society to the types of weapons, training, and tactics employed during wartime. Above all, The Medieval Castle is a book about the daily life-from clothes and food to recreation and customs-and the people who made their homes inside a military fortress. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Exelent buy
This is a great book.Easy to read.Covering most aspects of castle life.I would highly recomend it, and may purchase it again (it will make an exelent gift for friends that are intrested in either history or castles).

excellent worse on the castle and its purpose
Philip Warner was lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England and is the author of a numerous of books.
In this work, he gives you the need for the Castle, why it came into being, how it developed.He show the strict structure of the Castle society - inside and out, the lives of the people running it and those serving in it, even down to what they are and worse.He even cover medieval recreation!!

He breathes live into the subject, giving a fresh new look instead of tired impressions.

Excellent work for people wish to see Castle life as it was or for Writers of Historical works.

Highly recommended.

Superior
This beautifully illustrated book explains how and why castles were built in the middle ages and why they were such a dominant influence on medieval life, especially in times of war. Philip Warner recreates a complete picture of daily life in a medieval castle: how peasants and nobles lived; how men fought in tournaments and trained for combat; how castles were sited, designed, managed, attacked and defended; and what the the people who lived in them ate, drank, and wore. This book will also go a long ways toward breaking up some of the preconceived notions that people have about castles. One learns that the castle was not primarily a refuge. The object of the castle wasn't to retreat from conflict, but to control it. The Medieval castle was a dynamic integral part of medieval society and Philip Warner does brilliant work in showing this. Whether you're a medieval history buff or just a curious layman read this book. It will take a little effort to find it, but it's worth the time.

extremely informative and well-layed out
If you only read two books on castles, make it Gies' Life in a Medieval Castle and this one. The two books are very similar in layout and readablity, but Warner's is a bit more detailed and in depth. It also hasvery nice illustrations. As much as I love Francis Gies' book, I think thisone just edges it out. ... Read more

Product Description
An illustrated, concise account of the development and decline of castle architecture, this discusses the great variety in style, strength and location of castles. Examining castles both as fortresses in times of war and as residences, the author concentrates on eight castles which represent the apogee of medieval fortification and describes the famous sieges of Rochester, Kenilworth and Bedford. R.Allen Brown has written several standard texts on castles and a number of guidebooks on individual castles. ... Read more

Product Description
An exploration of some of Scotland's most treasured landmarks, featuring 150 color photographs. Scotland's history has been a violent one, and its castles still stand as a visible symbol of its bloody and romantic past. This handsome volume explores 27 private castles--vast and celebrated, such as Blair and Glamis, as well as smaller family homes. Hugh Cantlie highlights the most colorful events associated with each castle, linking its owners with such legendary figures as Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Throughout, dramatic color photos reveal the architectural formation of the castles, showing how these remarkable structures have gradually evolved to meet the changing needs and means of their inhabitants. Hugh Cantlie is an authority on the preservation of historic buildings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great photographs, fascinating history
The book provides not only great color long shot photos of various Scottish castles, but also well-chosen detail shots that enrich the reading experience.You'll see marriage stones -- where one partner's coat of armswas chiseled off; lavish dining rooms -- with the door to the dungeon inplain view; and foreboding stairways with statues of St. George -- or is itJoan of Arc!-- overlooking.The text is lively and informative, withabout 3 1/2 pages of text for each castle, much of it focusing on the humandrama inside the walls.This is a wonderful overview, covering 27 castlesin all.I wish there was room to cover more, but I was inspired to furtherresearch several of the castles. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
During the Norman conquest of West Cork over 150 castles were built, both by the Normans and by local clan chieftains. This reference book gives details of the history and legends of over 100 of these castles, with an abbreviated history of West Cork during the period 1150 to 1700. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The English castle evokes thoughts of an age of chivalry, when gallant knights fought and romanced amidst towers, battlements and moats. This image is further enhanced by the dramatic ruins we visit today, with their mysterious passages, spiral staircases and dingy dungeons. Yet, what was the medieval castle really like and what were these features we see today originally designed for? Using his own detailed drawings, diagrams and photographs, author Trevor Yorke explains, in an easy-to-understand manner, how the role of the castle changed from fortress to palatial home and illustrates how the ruined buildings were used in the past. His book is divided into three sections: the first charts the castle's origins and traces its developments; the second looks at the individual parts of a castle from military features such as the portcullis and drawbridge to the domestic quarters, great halls and tournament sites; the third contains a time chart for dating castles, a glossary of unfamiliar terms and a list of castles to visit. ... Read more

Product Description
Descended from the Viking raiders who settled in Northern France under the leadership of Rollo in around 911, the Normans were amongst the most feared warriors of their time. Their territorial ambitions culminated in Duke William 1's conquest of England in 1066, but although victory at Hastings left the English crown in William's hands, Norman sovereignty remained far from established on the island. In order to consolidate his position, the new king built a series of fortifications across the country - this book covers all these developments from the early days of William I through to the fortifications of Henry II, Richard I and John. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Oh to be in England
As usual Osprey Books has done it again. The art work is superb and clear. You get a grasp of the subject quite easily. The sections are short and eeasy to understand. AS part of the fortress series it is a welcome edition.Sit back open the pages and you are there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Castle Explorers Unite
This book is a steal.I picked it up at library sale just as the other reviewer did.Thinking I would give it to one of my nephews.No way!It is as much a social history as an architectural history.The going ons inside the castle can be pieced together by the numerous entries and their definitions.Any person interested in the Middle Ages would be thrilled to have this title.

A super find for anyone interest in Castle and medieval life
I got this from a library sale, thinking it was likely another skim the surface books, instead was delighted to find it so much more.If it has to do with Castles you will find it in here.It has a guide to the notable Castle of Britain for those on the tour, giving you details about its layout and history.It covers the architecture and its reasons and purposes, it goes into the feudal system and how lords, barrons, knights were made and ruled.

Compact, but incisive book that is well written in an interesting fashion for those just now wishing to learn about all aspects of Castle life, weapons and warfare, but also a handy reference guide to writers working with that period.

Highly recommended WISE WRITERS AND READERS History Pick.

This is like an Encyclopedia of British Castles!
I bought a used version... 1983 printing, 249pages, 5.5" by 8" hardcover.

From the cover: "A guide to everything there is to know about exploring castles in England, Scotland and Wales." ...Believe it, this book has a glossary of hundreds of details about castles with black & white sketches for most entries.

If you are a castle enthusiast like I am, you will learn a great deal of castle architecture, history, daily life, etc.I keep it by my bed and browse thru it sometimes before I go to sleep. ... Read more

Product Description
In this book, the castles of Hebridean myth and story are brought to life in a scholarly yet easy-to-read text. Roger Miket explores the history and architecture of the settings associated with blood-curdling dramas such as the murderous goings-on at Dun Sgaith or the far-fetched yarns of Saucy Mary and Cu Chulainn. Many of the castles are shown in reconstruction and all the architectural descriptions are fully illustrated making them clear to both expert and amateur historians. Together with the earlier broachs and duns, the castles are the principal material survivals of the great pageant of Hebridean history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent reference
I really like this small tome.It is well written with very good illustrations and gives a thorough account of the medieval castles around the Isle of Skye.

After the first (1990) edition went out of print, I've searched far and wide for my own copy. I even traveled to Skye but was unsuccessful in finding a copy for sale.So I was thrilled when this 2007 edition came out.

I recommend it for anyone with an interest in Scottish castles and history. ... Read more