Castle

DK Eyewitness Books

by Christopher Gravett

Be an eyewitness to the exciting world of the medieval castle, from the dramatic methods used to defend and attack castles to what life was really like for the people living inside its mighty battlements.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, Childrens, Medieval, Architecture, School

72 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Chris Gravett is a former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and a recognized authority on the arms, armour, and warfare of the medieval world. He has worked as an advisor for numerous TV and film productions, and has written many books. He currently works as a curator at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Usual great Dorling Kindersley quality. Could have been a little more detailed, but you ultimately get what you pay for.

[Cade Salem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another eyewitness book that I liked. It was really good. Tells a lot about castles.

[Jarin W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the other books in this series so I gave this one a try. This book is very descriptive and the pictures are very helpful to the understanding of the book. I would recommend this book for people that like to learn new things.

[Jacob P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked reading Castle by Christopher Gravett since it helped give me some background knowledge on the book i'm currently reading Once and Future King.

The best parts and most interesting parts to me are when it talks about animals and different workers and their jobs around the castle. I thought it was crazy that all the weird animals had a function of some sort. They are so similar to people which is a comparison I never thought i'd make. Everyone and everything has a role in the castle area.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty cool glimpse into castles and what life was like for the people who lived in them. The part I liked best was seeing pictures and models of all the different kinds of castles, from primitive motte-and-baileys to great palaces. I liked how the pictures of the castles were diverse, having castles not just from Northwestern Europe but places like Muslim Spain or Japan. The edition I read had a great power this huge pictures of castles in it. This was a lovely book.

[Lia C · Rating 5 out of 5]

While aimed and accessible for a younger audience, it serves as a visual feast worthy of a museum exhibit about castles. It mostly features castle architecture in Western Europe, but with a tidbit about Moorish and Japanese castles. The large format of the book allows the colorful illustrations and photographs of locations and items connected to the text to fully pop. I recommend this book for all readers looking for an introduction to castles.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book, especially if someone only starts to learn about the castles and life in medieval times. I especially appreciated wonderful photos of not only the castles, but also the items that were used in them both by the rich and the poorer people. Of course it would be even better if the author could mention and describe even more castles from Europe and the world, but it's still very good.

[Jennifer B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good, rich photographs and illustrations. It covers everything about castles, from the history, the construction, to the people who populated them, including what they ate, wore, and did in their free time.

[Tex-49 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atlante interessante e ben illustrato

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought back so many memories of trips to the elementary school library in the 90s

[Friend of Pixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: I had to up my rating from 3 to 4 stars after reading a couple of other books about castle history and constructions, including David Macaulay's. This was the book that had the most detail appropriate for my son's age (6.5) and interest, even if it was lacking in some details. It sparked the most discusssion and he has incorporated lots of archaic castle terms into his everyday vocabulary because of it.

Initial review: I'm not generally a fan of the picture/caption books, as I find the informaton they choose to include can be random and spotty. But this book worked well for us as it's not a strict history, so it's okay if the information is spotty (and it is). A few bits of vocabulary about castle architecture and siege-craft were all my 6-year-old son needed. I looked up a few things on the web to supplement (there's no pronunciation guide even in the glossary, so I had to find how to say things like motte and machicolation) or explain vagaries (why are they called hoardings? Are they always wood?) But on the whole, we spent 2 days combing over all the information, with me doing quick drawings to illustrate the concepts. It was fun!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Well organized. Rich with detail. This book is perfect for anyone who craves to "see" real castles and the equipment and people that inhabited them. Great balance between the traditional French and English castles that many Americans are use to seeing in the movies with castles from other regions including the Middle East and Far East. Really a great book for anyone who loves castle lore, Medieval and Renaissance novels or non-fiction alike. A great companion for Ivanhoe or the like.

[Melody Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not officially listed in the 7th grade Common Core Map, but it could be. Typical of these Eyewitness books, details are photographed and described to expose readers to authentic historical artifacts. Everything is clearly labeled and easy to read. Youth might find a launching spot from this picture book to explore a particular aspect of medieval times. For instance, a picture of a coin featuring two warrior-monks on horseback might spark an interest in researching warrior-monks.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK I know these are supposed to be kid books but they are awesome! Great pictures and just enough text to make you want to learn more. Great choices for a beginning history reader or to start an older reader out in a new area. Every time I pick one of these up and read it I learn new things. Highly Recommended

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

My oldest son LOVES this book. He started showing an intrest while watching the series "Merlin" and is now studying Medieval times in school. He has shown such an intrest that I bought him this book. Definately not a waste of money!

[Duane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had nice illustrations and photos, but I felt it left a lot of details not explained. This book gives you information that you need to further investigate in other books. Nicely arranged.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

good intro to subject

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has great pictures of castles and their parts.

[Cristina Contilli]

DA CONSULTAZIONE

[John Morr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of ancient castles. It talked about armor of the castle. It talked about different parts of the castle. It is a interesting book.

[Quỳnh Nguyễn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book with a good ilustration! Great pictures as usual. Recommend the series of Eyewitness books for everybody, especially for children.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really like the Eyewitness series.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

pictures of castles artifacts and representations of historical castels and their fucntion