This guide transports the reader on an amazing journey, exploring an array of forts and castles from around the world. It examines familiar structures such as the Norman motte and bailey castles found in Britain and parts of Europe and also looks at the "natural" castles found in Turkey, fortifications created by earth movements over the centuries. Also explored are the compact Maori forts of New Zealand which contrast with the vast American forts of the colonial period, Syrian crusader castles, Indian forts, Germany's "fairy-tale" castles and architectural marvels such as Japan's Himeji castle. Information panels throughout lead the reader to further discovery and each chapter offers Website links, book lists, places to visit and career information.

 

This book is part of a book series called Kingfisher Knowledge .

There are 64 pages in this book. This book was published 2003 by Pan Macmillan .

Simon Adams is a writer and editor of non-fiction books, and has written extensively on history subjects for children. Simon Adams was born in Bristol and studied at London and Bristol universities. He then worked as an editor of children's reference and other non-fiction books before becoming a full-time writer 15 years ago. Since then, he has written and contributed to more than 50 books on subjects as varied as American history, the sinking of the Titanic, the two world wars and the history of jazz. He lives in London and is a keen cyclist and walker. Instantly recognizeable as the 'Two Men in a Trench', Tony Pollard and Neil Oliver made their name in the successful BBC programme of that name. These historians have an in-depth knowledge of battlefield archaeology, and have revised many of the accepted versions of events on six major British battlefield sites.

This book has the following chapters: The first forts - Tryns, Iron Age hill forts, Masada, Roman fortifications; Ait-Ben-Haddou; the great age of castles (motte and baileys castles) - stone castles, Chateau Gaillard, concentric castles, Krak des Chevaliers, castles on the Rhine, Alhambra, fortress towns of Europe, Himeji, Sacsahuaman, Golconda; the end of an era (Ticondoroga) - Fort Sumter, Eureka Stockade, Fort Douamont; romatic ruins, understanding castle and fort ruins.