Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe: An Illustrated History Book

During the Middle Ages, castles and other fortified buildings were a common feature of the European landscape. As central powers rose and fell, the insecurity of the time inspired a revival of fortification techniques first introduced in the Roman Empire. Despite limitations in construction techniques and manpower, medieval fortifications were continuously adapted to meet new political circumstances and weapons technology.

Here is an illustrated guide to the architecture of medieval fortifications, from the first castles to the fortified cities of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In hundreds of detailed and thoroughly researched pen-and-ink drawings, artist Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage introduces the reader to a heterogeneous group of buildings whose unique characteristics show the development and diversity of European medieval military architecture. Each drawing is accompanied by detailed text describing types of buildings (e.g., moat-and-bailey castles), built-in defenses (arrow splits, pepper-pot towers), and particular castles and cities (the Mont-Saint-Michel, the city of Jerusalem). Elements of medieval warfare and weaponry are also covered in drawings and text

Author Biography: Writer and historian Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage lives in Groningen, Netherlands.

Rebecca Barnhouse - VOYA

Military history enthusiasts will love this book for its hundreds of meticulous pen-and-ink drawings of specific European castles and city plans. The text will draw in the same audience; Lepage combines clear paragraphs of political and military history with his descriptions of the construction and uses of fortified dwellings, always keeping his focus on the military and defensive purposes behind these structures. Readers get a general overview of both eastern and western European history from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance, but most important, they are treated to detailed, well-captioned drawings that include not only castles but also weapons and costumes of men-at-arms. Although Lepage touches on the social history of Europe in his explanations of types of dwellings, women are only briefly mentioned. The author is from the Netherlands, which might explain why his eighteen-item bibliography contains only six works with titles in English. The book is aimed at an audience with a strong interest in medieval warfare and architecture, so it would be best placed in large public libraries or in collections that have a focus on military history, architecture, or the Middle Ages. Index. Illus. Biblio. 2002, McFarland, 335p,