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Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections
Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Castle
History comes alive in this incredible children's illustrated book about castles.
Slicing through different areas of a medieval fortress, extraordinary views reveal the people busy inside, preparing for battle as an enemy army approaches.
Packed with facts, you'll find out what it takes to build a massive 14th-century castle, dress a knight in armor, or prepare a feast fit for a king or queen. From the drawbridge to the dungeon, Cross-Sections Castle swarms with the people who keep the castle going--the workers, craftsmen, and servants. And, as you pore over every page, look out for the villainous spy. Is he in the well... the keep... the moat? No? Keep looking, he's there somewhere!
Back in print after 20 years, you can now cheer on jousters, be entertained by a troubadour, and witness the gory details of a traitor's demise. This unique illustrated book for kids is not just the story of a castle; it brings medieval history to life.
Slicing through different areas of a medieval fortress, extraordinary views reveal the people busy inside, preparing for battle as an enemy army approaches.
Packed with facts, you'll find out what it takes to build a massive 14th-century castle, dress a knight in armor, or prepare a feast fit for a king or queen. From the drawbridge to the dungeon, Cross-Sections Castle swarms with the people who keep the castle going--the workers, craftsmen, and servants. And, as you pore over every page, look out for the villainous spy. Is he in the well... the keep... the moat? No? Keep looking, he's there somewhere!
Back in print after 20 years, you can now cheer on jousters, be entertained by a troubadour, and witness the gory details of a traitor's demise. This unique illustrated book for kids is not just the story of a castle; it brings medieval history to life.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1994
20 people are currently reading
729 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Biesty
59 books64 followersStephen Biesty is the creator of Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide since its publication in 1992. He lives in Somerset, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
April 16, 2021
I love these cross section books. I know they are written for a younger audience but its just so cool to be able to see some of the history things I read about so much more clearly. Amazing pictures and I always learn something new. Highly recommended
October 14, 2021
This book has amazing illustrations, so detailed! We love looking at each picture and finding all funny things that are happening such as people going to the toilet or someone falling off the roof and landing in the moat! The book details all life of a castle from the Noble family, the prisoners and peasants to the knights, armies and warfare with simple easy to read text. You find something new each time you look at a page.
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February 21, 2023amazing detailed illustration
October 6, 2024
I remember having my nose almost touching the pages of this book 20 years ago, I was so obsessed with it. The illustrations are incredible, but I still cannot spot a single image of the spy the reader is asked to find. Either way, I was not going to this book for a Where's Waldo adventure when I was little, I was here for the stonemasonry, trebuchets, and depictions of people being drawn and quartered.
June 14, 2015
Unfortunately, many of us will never step foot into a true, centuries-old castle. Even those who can vacation in these historic spots don’t experience the structures in the ways of the people living back yonder (unless you own a time machine!). For these people, Stephen Biesty takes readers inside castles in, “Cross Sections: Castle”.
“Cross Sections: Castle” is intended to strike the fancy of children but certainly appeals to adults interested in the topic, as a sort-of coffee table book. Biesty breaks “Cross Sections: Castle” into main focus topics such as the defense of the castle, architecture, trades, food & feasting, entertainment, etc. This provides readers with a wide view on castles but in a summary method.
The main issue with “Cross Sections: Castle” is the identity crisis the book suffers from. The text comprises of nothing more than a paragraph introduction on the topic and then labels the illustrations; providing easy reading for children. However, the text itself isn’t captivating for children and better connects with adults. The problem is that readers don’t learn much from the text or retain the information.
Naturally, the highlight of “Cross Sections: Castle” are the awe-inspiring illustrations. These hand-drawn, colorful, detailed masterpieces will delight both children and adults with its shedding of castle walls in order to illuminate the inside of the structures. The illustrations are comparable to “Where’s Waldo?” books and are delightful on their own without any text present.
Also similar to “Where’s Waldo?” is Biesty’s creative angle of not only teaching castle facts but installing an ‘enemy spy’ into “Cross Sections: Castle” and encouraging readers to search him out. This adds an element of adventure and participation to the reading.
“Cross Sections: Castle” does contain some unique facts which aren’t overdone or heavily-mentioned elsewhere resulting in some standout moments.
The conclusion of “Cross Sections: Castle” is rather abrupt with no summary or wrap-up leaving an ending lacking any memorable notes. However, a glossary of terms does add a little ‘oomph’.
Overall, “Cross Sections: Castle” is quite nice on the eyes but not necessarily as riveting fact/text-wise as one would hope. The book is great for grade school children interested in the topic in particular; but may bore others. A much better choice would be David Macaulay’s, “Castle”. “Cross Sections: Castle” isn’t bad but not mind-blowing, either.
“Cross Sections: Castle” is intended to strike the fancy of children but certainly appeals to adults interested in the topic, as a sort-of coffee table book. Biesty breaks “Cross Sections: Castle” into main focus topics such as the defense of the castle, architecture, trades, food & feasting, entertainment, etc. This provides readers with a wide view on castles but in a summary method.
The main issue with “Cross Sections: Castle” is the identity crisis the book suffers from. The text comprises of nothing more than a paragraph introduction on the topic and then labels the illustrations; providing easy reading for children. However, the text itself isn’t captivating for children and better connects with adults. The problem is that readers don’t learn much from the text or retain the information.
Naturally, the highlight of “Cross Sections: Castle” are the awe-inspiring illustrations. These hand-drawn, colorful, detailed masterpieces will delight both children and adults with its shedding of castle walls in order to illuminate the inside of the structures. The illustrations are comparable to “Where’s Waldo?” books and are delightful on their own without any text present.
Also similar to “Where’s Waldo?” is Biesty’s creative angle of not only teaching castle facts but installing an ‘enemy spy’ into “Cross Sections: Castle” and encouraging readers to search him out. This adds an element of adventure and participation to the reading.
“Cross Sections: Castle” does contain some unique facts which aren’t overdone or heavily-mentioned elsewhere resulting in some standout moments.
The conclusion of “Cross Sections: Castle” is rather abrupt with no summary or wrap-up leaving an ending lacking any memorable notes. However, a glossary of terms does add a little ‘oomph’.
Overall, “Cross Sections: Castle” is quite nice on the eyes but not necessarily as riveting fact/text-wise as one would hope. The book is great for grade school children interested in the topic in particular; but may bore others. A much better choice would be David Macaulay’s, “Castle”. “Cross Sections: Castle” isn’t bad but not mind-blowing, either.
June 6, 2021
When I was a child, my favourite book was “What Do People Do All Day?” by Richard Scarry. I and my sister loved to look for all the details in the drawings so frequently that the book got worn down and my parents had to buy a new one. So I was almost destined to like “Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Castle”: it is very similar, but maybe for a bit older reader. Here the pictures are not cartoonish and everything is tinier. Glossy pages did not help as I constantly had to turn the book to see everything without glare. But I still managed to find the spy in each image (or at least I think I did)!
At page 10, where the book actually starts, I read the word “palisade” and thought: “I know this word from “Age of Empires II” game!”. This game is also from my childhood, but now I play its Definitive Edition (and I love it). And since the book and the game are set in similar age, this was not the only uncommon word known to me. However, for someone who have never seen such words, it might not be as easy to understand their true meaning as the descriptions are very short and quite generic.
If “Stephen Biesty’s Cross-Section Castle” had been in even larger format and on matte paper, I would have liked it even more.
At page 10, where the book actually starts, I read the word “palisade” and thought: “I know this word from “Age of Empires II” game!”. This game is also from my childhood, but now I play its Definitive Edition (and I love it). And since the book and the game are set in similar age, this was not the only uncommon word known to me. However, for someone who have never seen such words, it might not be as easy to understand their true meaning as the descriptions are very short and quite generic.
If “Stephen Biesty’s Cross-Section Castle” had been in even larger format and on matte paper, I would have liked it even more.
October 1, 2013
One reason I don't like this book is that it is not well sourced, and does little to encourage me to look and read outside this text at all. No consultation with historians, librarians, or other experts is cited. The virtue of the unique illustrated cross sections give this book a lot of reasons to stand alone, but it's not right for Biesty to hide his research. Shouldn't this have been what DK added for a 2013 edition? This dragged the book down to a 3 from a 4 for me.
Anyway, Biesty's cross-sections are perfect for the DK standard format, because titles in the Eyewitness series don't always offer something worth looking at repeatedly in the central image. Biesty's illustrations make you sit and look, and look, and look again. Another reason I like this book is because it contradicts the Common Core directly by providing what I would call 'scaffolded' text. When I am not already interested in a mundane topic, I can count on DK to know how to draw me in and walk me through a broad range of subtopics. I would say breadth within a topic rather than depth is DK's strength in this format. But because of the broad range and the small amount of text, the information is largely surface-level.
This title exemplifies what I expect from Dorling Kindersly's informational text, and delivers even better than the more developed Eyewitness series.
1. Each double-page spread is a self-contained informational text, covering a complete sub-topic.
2. There is a main central image and a main central text to focus me.
3. There are a few or several side images with their own caption- or label-style text to encourage within-page browsing.
4. The main image is captioned or labeled to encourage multiple ways of looking at the center.
I love this format. It makes me want to spend time on the single spread, and to go back to favorites when browsing around. It also encourages browsing, because while there may be a progression to the order I don't need to read in order.
YIKES! As far as I could tell, there is nothing changed from the 1994 original edition other than the cover art and some small design features around the peritext at the beginning of the book. However, DK did NOT put any information in the peritext to suggest that this is a new edition of the old book. That's illegal, isn't it? They've made it look like this is a brand new 2013 title.
Anyway, Biesty's cross-sections are perfect for the DK standard format, because titles in the Eyewitness series don't always offer something worth looking at repeatedly in the central image. Biesty's illustrations make you sit and look, and look, and look again. Another reason I like this book is because it contradicts the Common Core directly by providing what I would call 'scaffolded' text. When I am not already interested in a mundane topic, I can count on DK to know how to draw me in and walk me through a broad range of subtopics. I would say breadth within a topic rather than depth is DK's strength in this format. But because of the broad range and the small amount of text, the information is largely surface-level.
This title exemplifies what I expect from Dorling Kindersly's informational text, and delivers even better than the more developed Eyewitness series.
1. Each double-page spread is a self-contained informational text, covering a complete sub-topic.
2. There is a main central image and a main central text to focus me.
3. There are a few or several side images with their own caption- or label-style text to encourage within-page browsing.
4. The main image is captioned or labeled to encourage multiple ways of looking at the center.
I love this format. It makes me want to spend time on the single spread, and to go back to favorites when browsing around. It also encourages browsing, because while there may be a progression to the order I don't need to read in order.
YIKES! As far as I could tell, there is nothing changed from the 1994 original edition other than the cover art and some small design features around the peritext at the beginning of the book. However, DK did NOT put any information in the peritext to suggest that this is a new edition of the old book. That's illegal, isn't it? They've made it look like this is a brand new 2013 title.
May 18, 2017
Quite An Interesting Insight Into A Great Structure.
February 22, 2021
This is the best castle book. I like how it has pictures on all of the pages. This book is very large.
August 2, 2019
As many of you may already know, I am a huge history buff. I love everything and anything from our past – I love learning about where we came from and how we can make the future better.
Castles are breath taking and majestic – I am not sure how else you can describe them. They are powerful, standing out proud against the sky in defiance. They not only impress but they protected their people within the walls. I always imagine how it must have felt to walk the halls during these time periods and even approach these magnificent buildings. Would you be intimidated? What did it smell like? What were the sounds?
This book gives us a great introduction to what a castle is, all of the features (I liked this term – the anatomy of the castle), how it functioned and so much more. The specific chapters include: defense and siege, garrison and prisoners, building the castle, trades and skills, living like a Lord, food and feasting, entertainment, livestock and produce, munitions and punishment (phew – now that is a list)!.
Each two page spread contains one large picture that usually spreads out over both pages. The picture is of the castle (hence the name cross section – t really does remind me of anatomy classes when we were in the lab). Bolted points and their corresponding paragraphs are found throughout the pages with arrows leading to the specific part in the picture. While the pictures could be a bit busy, you definitely learn a lot while reading this book with your child. It is definitely geared towards an older child, unless you sit with your child to explain the wording and pictures. There is a lot of interesting facts (my kids liked learning about a bakers dozen – bet you didn’t see that one coming). This is great book for the child that loves to learn about their past and has a fascination with castles and knights.
Castles are breath taking and majestic – I am not sure how else you can describe them. They are powerful, standing out proud against the sky in defiance. They not only impress but they protected their people within the walls. I always imagine how it must have felt to walk the halls during these time periods and even approach these magnificent buildings. Would you be intimidated? What did it smell like? What were the sounds?
This book gives us a great introduction to what a castle is, all of the features (I liked this term – the anatomy of the castle), how it functioned and so much more. The specific chapters include: defense and siege, garrison and prisoners, building the castle, trades and skills, living like a Lord, food and feasting, entertainment, livestock and produce, munitions and punishment (phew – now that is a list)!.
Each two page spread contains one large picture that usually spreads out over both pages. The picture is of the castle (hence the name cross section – t really does remind me of anatomy classes when we were in the lab). Bolted points and their corresponding paragraphs are found throughout the pages with arrows leading to the specific part in the picture. While the pictures could be a bit busy, you definitely learn a lot while reading this book with your child. It is definitely geared towards an older child, unless you sit with your child to explain the wording and pictures. There is a lot of interesting facts (my kids liked learning about a bakers dozen – bet you didn’t see that one coming). This is great book for the child that loves to learn about their past and has a fascination with castles and knights.
June 1, 2018
My Grade = 88% - B
I can only say that if this is a picture book for a kid, that kid must be Pugsley Addams! There are drawings of hangings, decapatations (even catapulting severed heads or animal bodies at enemies to dishearten them), drawing and quartering, removal of entrails, heads on pikes, torture - all sorts of fun stuff.
This 32 page is an amazing collection of aspects of life in a 14th Century European (English?) Castle.
Easy double page layout comes with one full page devoted to a huge cross-section picture and the other side to groups of smaller drawings, and of course, full explanations and arrows pointing things out.
Some of the two page subjects include building, trades and skills, living like a lord, food and feasting, entertainment, and livestock.
I think this is about my fourth Biesty book in the last few years, and they are all delightful. It’s strange that they can only be found in the children’s section of the library.
I can only say that if this is a picture book for a kid, that kid must be Pugsley Addams! There are drawings of hangings, decapatations (even catapulting severed heads or animal bodies at enemies to dishearten them), drawing and quartering, removal of entrails, heads on pikes, torture - all sorts of fun stuff.
This 32 page is an amazing collection of aspects of life in a 14th Century European (English?) Castle.
Easy double page layout comes with one full page devoted to a huge cross-section picture and the other side to groups of smaller drawings, and of course, full explanations and arrows pointing things out.
Some of the two page subjects include building, trades and skills, living like a lord, food and feasting, entertainment, and livestock.
I think this is about my fourth Biesty book in the last few years, and they are all delightful. It’s strange that they can only be found in the children’s section of the library.
November 15, 2020
A very interesting, detailed books that children who love history and love learning new things will find captivating. Each page has a different heading such as entertainment or trades and skills and with a cross-section image of a part of the castle labels and describes different people, objects and events. I have used this whilst tutoring as a reading comprehension asking the child different questions about the castle that are found on a certain page which is made more engaging than a normal written passage with labels and diagrams. We also discussed what his dream castle would look like such as having pokemons guarding the entrance.
January 28, 2024
This castle may seem like something out of a fantasy world, but it actually existed in the 14th century. It was built on a vast site, and its layout was designed to prevent attacks from outside.
It is an interesting idea that when enemies attack the castle, they are swept down a slide and end up in a pool. The inside of the castle, people's clothes, food, and musical instruments were also very interesting.
It is an interesting idea that when enemies attack the castle, they are swept down a slide and end up in a pool. The inside of the castle, people's clothes, food, and musical instruments were also very interesting.
August 24, 2025
This book is incredibly interesting to look through; it's jam-packed with information about medieval life. Can I confirm its accuracy? No. But it is really fascinating. Each page has so many tiny details that I feel like I find something new every time I open it. There is even an ongoing visual plot about a spy hiding in the castle, and it invites the reader to find him in each spread. I can't recommend this enough if you are at all interested in medieval castles and court life.
March 15, 2018
One of the finest children's education books I ever read, it's amazing artwork, solid layout and lack of romanticising (the siege scene is notable bloody and violent) made a great impression on young library-hunting me as a child and when I encountered it again in a charity shop in my 20s, I instantly got it.
August 11, 2022
A visual and informational treat. The amount of detail on every page in this is astounding, and the great insight and history information for various parts of the castle and the lives lived within and around it are really well done.
You can find these really cheap all over the place, and are well worth looking into, regardless of age.
You can find these really cheap all over the place, and are well worth looking into, regardless of age.
January 1, 2023
This book was awesome! So much easily digestible information. Its basic yet detailed. This one takes a little longer to read through but it is worth it. You learn so many neat little facts about castles, and things related to castles like POW's, collecting the dead after wars. It's a great book, and the visuals are also helpful.
February 7, 2025
Other reviewers are correct that this book does not cite sources and is very generalized, but I find it to be a very helpful springboard for deeper research. Also...it's written for kids. It's pretty darn detailed for a kid's book.
December 5, 2016
This book lent me countless hours of imaginative entertainment as a kid. Superb illustrations and detail.
September 6, 2018
Great illustrations. Compact and full of information.
October 30, 2020
I loved it so much I bought it for my Nephew.
February 24, 2021
Excellent book with good graphics, a childhood favorite.
September 28, 2022
my child hood book
Because is read this book when I was a child I’ve always looked structure of vehicles different compare to other people
Because is read this book when I was a child I’ve always looked structure of vehicles different compare to other people
November 25, 2023
I like how they eat a dolphin
February 19, 2025
Absolutely loved this book.
Finding the hidden secrets was a treat.
Finding the hidden secrets was a treat.
July 12, 2025
Absolutely loved this book, would love to own a copy someday.
October 4, 2025
sometimes doesn't explain things that are confusing, and is occasionally uncomfortably explicit, but is an enormously helpful reference for understanding how medieval castles were built and run
August 10, 2024
I'm just mad that I never had the opportunity to read these educational cross-section books as a kid.
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October 15, 2016This appears to be a children's book, and I think elementary children who are reading well would especially enjoy this. The pictures and information are very good. It gives good detail about the physical elements of a castle and how they were used.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews