Castles in Context: Power, Symbolism and Landscape, 1066 to 1500

by Robert Liddiard

Castle studies have been transformed in recent years with a movement away from the traditional interpretation of castles as static military structures towards a wider view of castles as aesthetic symbols of power, with a more complicated relationship with the landscape. Supported by numerous color photographs of the most `tangible' remains of the Middle Ages, this clearly written and very accessible study makes the most current ideas about the role of the castle available to a wider and more general readership. Robert Liddiard discusses the history of castle building before and after the Norman Conquest, considering the Norman and medieval definition of the castle, and he reassesses the military defensive capabilities of castles, demolishing the idea that they were built in response to military policy. Instead, they proved a very effective means for aristocrats to display their status. Liddiard evaluates the role of the castle in warfare and the extent to which sieges played a part in conflicts before turning his attention to the varied role of the castle in the landscape (and in the lives of those who lived in and around it) and its relationship to its environment, arguing that the aesthetic setting of many castles was not a happy accident. Throughout, the study is supported by numerous case studies which examine the archaeological, architectural and historical evidence for numerous castles.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

178 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an attempt to get non-experts to look again at society’s centuries long belief that castles were built for military purposes. Counter intuitive as this is, the author presents a series of arguments used by an apparently growing number of castle academics. An interesting read that had me agreeing and disagreeing with the arguments every few pages. In the end, it all seemed a bit esoteric, and I found myself thinking “So what?”.