Castles of Britain and Ireland

by Rodney Castleden

To many, medieval castles are the essence of Britain and Ireland's fascinating past. Immersed in history and centuries old, each one tells a story of Kings, Queens and feuding lords; war and bloody conflict; treason, revenge and murder.

In Castles of Britain and Ireland, Rodney Castleden weaves a fascinating and detailed narrative of 115 of the grandest and most historically significant castles in the British Isles, including Balmoral in Scotland, Bunratty in Ireland, Caernarfon in Wales and St Michael's Mount in England. As well as the details of the construction, function, and often the destruction of these magnificent buildings, each chapter also tells the human stories behind these ancient walls, with fascinating details of everyday life within.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Travel, Historical

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful picture(s) and short description of 115 castles. Half get 2 pages of description (maybe 300 words) while the other half get 4 pages. The pictures dominate, so the text remains sparse. I wish the 9"x9" book was expanded to allow both more pictures and more text. A pleasing book to browse. But too short. I'd like this in taller format too. 3.5*

Scotland: 23 - fav Balmoral Castle
Ireland: 11 - fav Malahide Castle
Wales: 22 - fav Pembroke Castle
England: 59 - fav Belvoir Castle, Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, Dover Castle

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book a a whim a while ago when it was on super sale, because who doesn't love history. I'm all for it, especially English history, the War of the Roses; all the assassinations, the drama, the historical figures who stayed where. I really appreciated this coffee table book.

I really liked all the pictures, the brief synopsis of why this particular place was historic, and what happened during the high time of each particular Castle and Abby.

There is also a lot of architectural details that I really enjoyed having known a bit about that prior to engaging with this book.

Would highly recommend, definitely just makes me want to pack up and see all the places for myself!

[Pat Bettinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history and I am fascinated by castles and thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are amazing photos here and great information on the castles. I have visited several of the castles and am gathering information for the next trip to see some of the ones in here that I haven't seen. This is a great resource book if you are think about traveling to Scotland, Ireland, Wales, or England in the future.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really sure how to rate coffee table books. The pictures were beautiful, the text was dry brief historical and architectural information that at times seemed a bit scattered and repetitive. Worth it just to look at the pictures. I can't wait to travel again and get to add more of these to my list of castle visits!

[Creepyquills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to London soon and picked this book up on a whim. It has beautiful pictures and great information of architecture and history on the castles. It really helped me determine which places I want to be sure to see when I am down there in case there isn't time to see them all!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intresting book, with a bit of history thrown in. Read if you like castles and some of the history behind them.

[Linda Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to find out more about some of the castles - interesting (although not necessarily objective) and easy to read narration, good pics.

[Jocelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to pack my bags and head off to Europe!

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome Pictures with some historical information.