Castles in Context

Book excerpt: "The last decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of the castle. Previously scholars have viewed it as essentially a military structure: a building where the need to resist a siege determined both architecture and site. Academics now paint a more complex picture, emphasizing the castle's symbolic projection of power, its position in the wider landscape and even its aesthetic role. This wide-ranging book makes this re-evaluation available to a new generation of castle enthusiasts. Focusing on the rich heritage of castle archaeology in England and Wales, the author offers a fresh and holistic perspective on these enigmatic medieval buildings. He examines not just the architecture but its wider social and landscape context. As well as offering new insights into familiar themes such as the Norman Conquest and siege warfare, he also covers in detail more original areas of study: the designed, ornamental landscapes that have been found at castle sites; the depiction of castles in literature; and the symbolic values that found expression in castle architecture. His aim is to understand how people experienced castles in the Middle Ages, and therefore to explain why they were such potent icons of lordship."--Back cover.