From the bestselling author of The Templars and Powers and Thrones, Dan Jones returns with Castles: a gripping history of the world told through over three thousand years of iconic strongholds.
With thanks to Keighley_Reads for the below review.
Who doesn’t love a castle?! They are such iconic features in any landscape and most people in the UK will have memories of having visited at least one in their lifetime.
In the introduction of the book, Dan Jones talks about how people have tried to answer the age-old question of “What is a castle?” – which is no easy feat. Ultimately this gives you an idea of all the different ways this book will explore castles.
It’s certainly not a book you can sit down and read in a sitting or two, which is exactly what made it so great for me. I loved being able to read a chapter, reflect on what I’d learnt, and then pick the book up again the next day. I do love a bit of history, and I found this book absolutely fascinating.
I learnt A LOT! After the introduction, we start in Troy, where most of us will know the story from films or literature, and then ending with more ‘modern’ versions of castles – including Neuschwanstein in Germany, which is firmly on my bucket list to visit. The book was captivating from the very beginning.
With every chapter, I could picture the castle or landscape being described, and I especially loved reading about Danebury and Cadbury Castle. Danebury was particularly interesting because I now visit the site as an adult and have learnt a lot about it through my studies and career. It also happens to have a couple of amazing Highland Cows wandering around, who you can say hello to!
Cadbury Castle was even more special because it was such a big part of my childhood. I have so many fond memories of Sunday walks with my family, climbing that STEEP hill to reach the castle, rolling down the ramparts with my brother and learning all about the idea that it was Camelot and the seat of King Arthur. So reading this chapter was especially poignant. It was wonderful to see a place that holds so many childhood memories explored through a historical lens.
Overall, if you love learning about history and you love castles, this book is a must-read. Dan Jones has done a huge amount of research and draws on sources wherever possible, making the history vivid and bringing the locations he describes to life.
A fascinating, immersive read – and one that has definitely made me want to visit a few more castles!
About the Book
Castles have been built to defend humanity for millennia – from the walls of Troy and the desert bastion of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria; to Windsor Castle and the Tower of London; to Himeji in Japan and the Maginot Line in the Second World War. They have inspired terror and ambition, foiled conquering forces, and been deployed as the ultimate expression of wealth, status and supremacy.
Jones leads readers on a journey through centuries and across continents as each castle tells a unique story of power, politics and survival, revealing the shifting tides of warfare, the rise and fall of empires, the resilience of people under siege and the flourishing of new ideas.
Blending rich storytelling, cutting-edge research and beautiful original illustrations, Castles is an epic story of how humans first came to build fortifications and how they expanded into powerfully capturing our imagination. With Jones’s trademark scholarship and flair, he shows how defiance, endurance and imagination have been carved into the landscapes we’ve inherited.
About The Author
Dan Jones is a bestselling historian, TV presenter and award-winning journalist. His non-fiction books, which have sold more than a million copies worldwide, include the Sunday Times bestsellers THE PLANTAGENETS, THE TEMPLARS, POWERS AND THRONES and HENRY V. His fiction includes the acclaimed Essex Dogs trilogy, set during the Hundred Years War, concluding with LION HEARTS. Dan has written and presented numerous TV series including Secrets of Great British Castles, Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty: The Plantagenets and London: 2000 Years of History. He writes and hosts the Sony Music podcast This is History. For a decade Dan was a weekly columnist for the London Evening Standard; he has also contributed to dozens of newspapers and magazines worldwide, including the New York Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph and Spectator. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Trustee of Historic Royal Palaces.
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This book can be purchased in our store either on its own or in a cosy Book Box.
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