britlovestoread's review
5.0
Really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is remotely interested in history, especially anything involving the Medieval times.
It covers several interesting topics like The Lord and Lady of the castle, the villagers, hunting traditions, war, and the castle year.
It isn't too long and the authors cover the subjects areas well without going into extensive detail, which I appreciate.
It covers several interesting topics like The Lord and Lady of the castle, the villagers, hunting traditions, war, and the castle year.
It isn't too long and the authors cover the subjects areas well without going into extensive detail, which I appreciate.
heritage's review
3.0
A fairly quick, easy-t0-understand book and a good introduction to what gave rise to castles, how they developed, their use, their effects, and their downfall. It doesn't have detailed explanations about layout or floor plans, though. The first part was a bit slow as it seemed to talk about historical individuals instead of castles, but it picked up after that. I actually found the parts about daily life and the villagers more interesting than the knights or war. It's a very informative book, but it is still just an introduction. A very good introduction.
1teachingnomad's review
3.0
A well researched, if occasionally dry, accounting of the castle as a significant piece of Medieval life. This book is written to be accessible and useable by all, from those with a personal interest in the period to historians working on a research project. Details are balanced by quoted excerpts that help make life in the castle more understandable.
zhelana's review
4.0
This was an informative if short book that told us all about life in medieval times. Mostly it focused on the castle, as promised, although it did take a short trip into the country side to describe all the people that went into supporting a castle, and the people who trained birds for falconry. The most interesting part of it was the training of the birds for falconry, and the knights killing each other for entertainment purposes. It will be useful for SCA purposes.
marginaliant's review
5.0
If you love castles, this is the book for you. Easy to read and interesting, it covers the basics of castle architecture as well as daily castle life. How were knights knighted? How did you use the bathroom? Where did the lord and lady of the castle sleep? Why do some castles have square towers and others rounded ones? I love this book and will be keeping it on reference for a long time.
fifteenthjessica's review
4.0
Well written and researched. This book is an excellent resource for people interested in medieval times. I believe it's aged well and will be turning to Gies for more knowledge on the time period.
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