CASTLE

Medieval castles were incredible feats of construction designed for military efficiency. This book tells the story of how they were built and the unique features incorporated into them for added defence. A castle was more than a building to attack and defend. It was a whole community, designed to be self-sufficient in times of siege. As well as the lord and lady, we see into the lives of other castle residents, including the squires training for knighthood, the jesters who entertained at banquets, and the many others involved in daily chores such as cooking, repairing masonry and woodwork, and making clothes. Written by Christopher Gravett of the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London, Castle provides a fascinating fly-on-the wall look at war and peace in the medieval period. Superb, full-colour photographs of castles around the world, plus specially built models, offer a unique and revealing "eyewitness" view of medieval life, from a castle's construction to its destruction in a siege. See a medieval lavatory; a giant crossbow on wheels; how prisoners were kept secure in dungeons; a herald in full regalia; castles used by crusaders in Syria and samurai warriors in Japan. Learn how castles got their water during a siege, how besiegers tunnelled under castle walls; how the Normans built castles in a hurry; how the first guns worked; why round towers were better than square ones; what a castellan's job entailed Discover how enemies climbed castle walls; what was on the menu at a typical banquet; why many castles had resident carpenters and metalworkers; why crusader castles were so well built.