Castles: A Fortified History of the World

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.

For thousands of years humans have built castles to protect themselves. From the great citadel of Troy to Viking ring forts; from the looming menace of the Tower of London to the mazes of Himeji in Japan; from the Gothic spires of Neuschwanstein to the concrete bunkers of the Maginot Line, castles have been the tool of conquest and the last line of defence. They have inspired hope and fear, majesty and terror.

In this gripping history of the world, bestselling author Dan Jones reveals the stories of power, politics and survival that reside in our best-known strongholds. Castles have shaped the outcome of wars, seeded myths and legends, tested the limits of human endurance under siege and been the fertile ground for grand artistic ideas. Sparked by his own childhood fascination with castles, Jones reveals the shifting tides of warfare, the rise and fall of empires and the resilience of people under siege in fortifications across the globe.

Blending rich storytelling, cutting-edge research and beautiful original illustrations, Castles is an epic biography of the greatest buildings in the world - from prehistoric hill fort to Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. With Jones' trademark scholarship and flair, he shows how defiance, endurance and imagination have been carved into the landscapes we've inherited.

Review

Epic in scope and lavish in detail, Jones tells the story of human history through the most dramatic ruins we have ― Paul Cooper

CASTLES is a book Dan Jones was born to write: his childhood infatuation, followed by profound scholarship and garnished with superbly engaging prose has produced a wonderful history of the strongholds that still excite our imagination and command our respect ― Andrew Roberts

Glorious. Jones has taken one of the things we take for granted in the background of so many periods, and used it to produce what feels like a completely fresh approach to history. Made me want to go on a grand tour ― Jonn Elledge

As fluent and coherent in its description of many different buildings as it is meticulous in its consideration of what these edifices actually are, or were meant to be ... A day trip to a historic setting like Fort Sumter, in Charleston, South Carolina, site of the first armed engagement of the American Civil War, or a hike up to the remains of Cadbury Castle in Somerset encapsulate the fun Jones had researching CASTLES ― Literary Review

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.