Castles in Context

Power, Symbolism and Landscape, 1066-1500

Robert Liddiard

This table gives the books price, published date, ISBN reference and other details
Price:	£20.00
Published:	May 2005
ISBN:	0-9545575-2-2
Details:	PB, 196 pp, illus: 45 col, 30 b/w

Synopsis

Castles in Context will make the reader see afresh the great stone keeps that still dominate the English and Welsh countryside - often more than seven hundred years after they were built.

The last decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of the castle. Academics have moved way from interpretations which see the castle as basically a military structure, and they now emphasise other functions: its symbolic projection of power in the wider landscape and in architecture, and its aesthetic role in literature and as a place for designed landscapes. This wide-ranging and beautifully illustrated book draws on examples throughout England and Wales to make this re-evaluation available to a new generation of castle enthusiasts.

Reviews

'An attractive and well-written overview of fifteen years of castle studies.' British Archaeology 'Reviews changing interpretations.An excellent way to catch up on current thinking' Antiquity Landscape, buildings, archaeology, maps and documents are all used to good effect. A particular innovation is the use of medieval literature...'Essential reading, not only for local historians with a castle on their doorstep, but also for anyone who takes the opportunity to visit castles on their travels. Local History News