Castle Builders written by Malcolm Hislop and published by
Pen & Sword Books - £18.99 - Hardback - Pages 272
In Castle Builders, Malcolm Hislop looks at the hugely popular subject of castles from
the unusual perspective of design and construction. In this general introduction to the
subject, we discover something of the personalities behind their creation - the architects
and craftsmen - and, furthermore, the techniques they employed, and how style and
technology were disseminated. Castle Builders takes both a thematic and a chronological
approach to the design and construction of castles, providing the reader with clear lines
of development. Themes include earth, timber and stone construction techniques, the
evolution of the great tower, the development of military engineering, the progression of
domestic accommodation, and the degree to which aesthetics contributed to castle design.
This book looks at the creation and building of castles and types of castles from all around Europe. This book looks at the design, reasons, materials, fortifications, living conditions, military, aesthetics, and even the personalities of those commissioning the building and how this is impressed upon the building. The book is also full of great diagrams, drawings and photographs which really do complement the text and just help advance the learning from the book. I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and loved all the design, engineering and the process of how castles were built. As a fan of castles full stop, this was like a dream book. All I can say is that if you are a fan of castles, you will love this book.