The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts, And Walled Cities Of The Middle Ages by J.E. Kaufmann and H.W. Kaufmann is one of the most comprehensive, detailed books on castle architecture in the medieval period. The book is split into five major sections: Elements of Medieval Fortifications, Early Medieval Fortifications, The Age of Castles, Decline of the High Castle Walls, and Medieval Castles and Fortifications (this last section showing detailed architectural plans of a number of castles throughout medieval europe).
The first section, Elements of Medieval Fortifications, discusses the various parts that make up a castle’s construction and how those elements evolved over the years. You will learn about the motte and bailey castle, towers, gatehouses and drawbridges, enceintes and battlements, the moat, inside the castle walls, and siege techniques used to try to undermine these impressive structures.
The second and third sections, Early Medieval Fortifications and The Age of Castles, describe the evolution of the castle throughout medieval europe, starting with the wooden castles of the Early Middle Ages and on into the High Middle Ages when castle architecture and construction was at its peak, defined by the magnficent stone strongholds that filled the landscape from medieval England all the way to the desert plains of the Middle East.
The fourth section, Decline of the High Castle Walls, explains how gunpower and cannon weaponry brought about an end to the importance of the medieval castle. Read about the fall of Constantinople, the siege of fortifications during the Reconquista, and the siege and fall of Rhodes.
This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to understand in greater detail the history of the medieval castle. There are plenty of photos, diagrams, and illustrations to visually aid the reader, along with castle terminology.
My rating: 5 stars