Historic Books

I used this book as one of the historical references for my novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God" which tell the complete story of the Conquest of the Mexica. The author's research has produced magnificent artwork of long-destroyed Mexican pyramids, temples and other structures in and around the Templo Mayor. The artwork looks and is modern and I suspect that the actual structures, although wonderful, weren't quite as scenic. Weathering and aging would be factors.

Also, a time-traveller to Tenochtitlan would have noticed things impossible to capture on paper. When the wind shifted there would have been the odors of blood, dismembered corpses and dissolution--mixed, no doubt, with the scent of the numerous flowers growing within and immediately outside of the temple precinct.

Also, I noticed a slight disagreement with the description provided by the old conquistador, Bernal Diaz del Castillo. Castillo noted the presence of two temples on the flat top of the precinct's primary pyramid. Serrato-Combe's work agrees with this. One of these temples was to Tlaloc. Again Serrato-Combe and Diaz are in agreement. The second temple, according to Diaz, had effigies of both Huitzilopotchli and Tezcatlipoca. Serrato-Combe indicates that this was specifically the temple of Huitzilopotchtli. I suspect S-C is right and that Diaz' recollection of events many years earlier may have been muddled. Nevertheless, in my novels I go along with Diaz' descriptions, primarily because his descriptions are so graphic and were, no doubt, partly the products of the terror that any European would have felt when examining these blood-soaked but magnificent structures.

RB

If you have ever been interested in ancient civilizations, and have wondered where/how they lived... this book is for you. The pictures in this book are fabulous and bring you into the lives of this ancient civilization.
I would recommend this for anyone both for it's visual beauty and historical content!

reading from the author all the illustrations are computer generated based on oral and verbal manuscripts and on the actual foundations left behind...

i found the plaza's and home layouts to be of great interest... also his recreation of the ball court is good...

author also touches on the design of the temples... based on what manuscripts we have and the surviving structures...

the chapter on the templo mayor was great... but was hoping it could of been more detailed... author leaves alot of room for possibilities

definitely worth the purchase... if interested in the design of possible configurations of our capital

September, 2007 issue of Director's Chair by Peter Marshall

Are you doing a documentary about World War 1? Do you need World War I stock footage for your movie?

This reference book gives concise information about the surviving motion pictures that were taken during WWI, over 90 years ago. BATTLEFILM details 467 film titles that cover America's part in this conflict. Each of the 957 reels of action is described using data gathered from actual U.S. Army records.

This book is the ONLY one in publication today that details readily available WWI films. BATTLEFILM is a superb source of information for stock-footage for that Great War documentary.

July 07 Newsletter by Tony Lazzarini, President Military Writer's Society of America says: "BATTLEFILM, written by retired U.S. Air Force officer, Phillip W. Stewart is a catalog of the WWI era documentary films in Record Group 11 held at the U.S. National Archives. Being involved with documentary films myself, I appreciate good reference material. it's a 'must have' book if you happen to be looking for original film footage regarding WWI. This is a very well organized and detailed catalog."

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (10/07)

Philip W. Stewart has researched, compiled and edited this listing or catalog of historic films of action taken during World War I. The U.S. Army Signal Corps were given the assignment of obtaining photographic coverage of American participation in the War. In the introduction, Stewart reiterates the earlier statement of purpose for the filming made by K. Jack Bauer in 1957. The photographic coverage was ordered for propaganda, scientific, identification, and military reconnaissance purposes, but primarily for the production of a pictorial history of the war.

The book is divided into two sections. Part One covers U.S. military operations from the years prior to the war beginning in 19l4 and through to the returning of the troops in 1918-1919. Included in this section are films related to post-Armistice training, films relating to Allied and enemy activities, and the parades and events celebrating liberty. There are films from Washington D.C., Paris, London, and Brussels featured in these festivities filmed in 1918 and 1919.

As a U S. Navy veteran I took special note of the films related to Naval Operations. There are films featuring submarines, U-boats, destroyers, battleships, our convoy activities, and the return of the fleet in 1918.

Part two is made up of a listing of films featuring civilian activities. Several films cover the years of Woodrow Wilson's administration, his cabinet, the decisions he faced and the treaties he signed. A number of films were made of his trip to Europe in 1918 on the ocean-liner George Washington. He visited France, England and Italy. Additional trips to Europe were made in the following year. Many of the events and receptions attended during these visits were captured on film and are included in the listings.

Films featuring industry as it related to the war effort are also included in this section. The manufacturing of ordnance material, military aeroplanes, gas masks, and shipbuilding are all included.

Other patriotic activities, holiday celebrations and liberty loan drives are featured. I found the films covering the memorial services at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Burial of an Unknown Solider of particular interest.

This book is one of a kind. It is destined to become an important resource for historians, media researchers, documentary producers, and students of films. There are 957 reels of footage shot during the years 1914-1918. These include the WWI era documentary films, in record group 111, held in the U.S. National Archives. Philip W. Stewart has produced an important work in his book "Battlefilm."

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Phillip W. Stewart (a retired U.S. Air force Lt. Colonel who for more than thirty years has been a film consultant, video producer, television director, multi-media manager, and published author), "Battlefilm: U.S. Army Signal Corps Motion Pictures Of The Great War" details 467 film titles covering America's involvement in World War I. A seminal work of exhaustive research characterized by a logical layout and an extensive index, "Battlefilm" is a superbly designed catalog of the WWI era documentary films in Record Group 111 stored at the US National Archives and specifically designed to help researchers, authors, and documentary film makers to find films and scenes they need. In addition to academic library Military History and Film Studies reference collections, "Battlefilm" is confidently recommended as an indispensable reference work for historians, media researchers, documentary produces, film students, and authors working on fiction as well as non-fiction works about American involvement in World War I.

Overall, this is an excellent guide book. Attempting to cover the entire state of California in a single volume, the authors freely admit that their "list" is incomplete and that they had to whittle the book down to include a limited selection of historical sites from among the hundreds found throughout the state. Fortunately, the coverage of the places that made the cut is excellent, providing plenty of background information about not only the mission, mansion, or museum itself, but also its place in California history. Websites are listed when available, allowing the visitor to check out updated information prior to a visit. My only recommendation would be that the authors consider publishing a second volume that would add in the many deserving sites that couldn't be included in this book.

If you're a California resident or library seeking a fine blend of California trivia facts and history and a travelogue to the state's best museums, then you can't go wrong with Best of California's Missions, Mansions and Museums. It functions like a travel guide by offering hours, costs, contact information and trip and tour itineraries for visitors - and it functions like a history book in providing a healthy dose of background history about each establishment. The 'don't miss this' tips are particularly well done.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Thanks to the Internet, it's easy these days to compile and publish lists of things, such as bed and breakfast getaways or suspension bridges or pet friendly parks, but rarer for authors actually to visit the venues they write about. That's what impressed me about "Best of California's Missions, Mansions and Museums" ($21.95 in paperback from Wilderness Press) by Ken and Dahlynn McKowen out of Sacramento.

The couple, along with Dahlynn's two children, 9-year-old Shawn and his sister, 14 year-old-Lahre, hit the road for four months, visited some 200 sites and racked up 10,000 miles on the odometer. The result, after some editing, are chatty descriptions of 135 family-friendly California missions, mansions and museums. This is a good guide to consult if one is planning a summer vacation in the Golden State.

The listings, write the authors, "provide a broad geographic and subject-matter selection of California's missions, mansions and museums, primarily as they relate to California's history and culture." Picking the "best" was difficult, subjective of course, and a lot of places were not included (such as most science and technology museums) that didn't meet the criteria of illuminating state history.

In the area of missions, "our final choice came down to 13 missions that we felt included not only wonderful museums, but retained much of their original or at least their early 20th century restored historic fabric. ... We chose our favorite mansions in much the same way as the missions, but we added accessibility -- how frequently they are open to the public for tours."

For museums, the authors concentrated on smaller collections. "We didn't choose them because of their size or the value or rarity of their collections, although we certainly considered those things. ... We considered their uniqueness, not only in the types of collections and the variety of artifacts, but also in how they relate to California's overall history or to their local community's history."

The book is divided geographically, from the North Coast, through the Great Valley and on to the South Coast and desert. Each section has a numbered locator map, trivia questions and introduction. Each two- or three-page entry features a "what's here" list, a "don't miss this" note, a description of the venue, usually a small black and white photograph and a box providing operating hours, cost, location and the Web site. The book also features an index and a list destinations by category.

The chapter devoted to the Great Valley includes entries for the Turtle Bay Exploration Park (including the Sundial Bridge) in Redding, and Chico's own Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park.

The authors note that the second floor of the mansion "features several of the home's 12 bedrooms. That was not a good location for bedrooms in a town where summer temperatures reach 100 degrees, and upstairs rooms become even hotter. Possibly, the plantation windows served as summer escapes to cooler sleeping arrangements on the outside balcony. The indoor toilets that Bidwell included were thought strange by his neighbors and visitors. Many believed that having to perform such bodily tasks inside a house, rather than in an outhouse, was unsanitary."

And there is some Great Valley trivia. "Where can you find the very first Pony Car (Mustang) manufactured by Ford?" It's at the Towe Auto Museum in Sacramento. The car is a white convertible, the first to roll off the assembly line back on April 9, 1964.

See you on the road!

Copyright 2007 Chico Enterprise-Record. Used by permission.

When we were senior high school and university students, I couldn't think of a better way to spend your summers, than working at Bigwin Inn before going back to school in the fall. I spent the summers of 1963 and 1964 there playing the piano in the band. Bigwin Inn became a very special place to most of us who spent time there. I didn't take many photos and now wish I had, but this great book can bring back a lot of your memories because it has lots of photos taken at all stages of this great Inn's life, as well as a history of this grand old Inn.

Relive your memories with this great book!

When we were senior high school and university students, I couldn't think of a better way to spend your summers, than working at Bigwin Inn before going back to school in the fall. I spent the summers of 1963 and 1964 there playing the piano in the band. Bigwin Inn became a very special place to most of us who spent time there. I didn't take many photos and now wish I had, but this great book can bring back a lot of your memories because it has lots of photos taken at all stages of this great Inn's life, as well as a history of this grand old Inn.

Relive your memories with this great book!

Bigwin Inn encourages the protection of a unique
landscape and its built environment by examining
Bigwin Island's environmental heritage, the
archaeological heritage of its First Nation burial
grounds, the nautical heritage of the steam yacht
Bigwin and the rare architectural heritage of the
Bigwin Inn complex.

McTaggart states, "If the great legacy of Bigwin
is to survive as testimony to an important part of
the country's identity, the landmark demands immediate
heritage designation, structural stabilizaiton and
protection against the implications of an ill-
defined future". Star columnist Christopher Hume
wrote, "As McTaggart rightly points out, "Bigwin
was the perfect embodiment of an era, a time when
man's ability to master nature with massive and
indestructibe projects was very much in vogue."
The complex consists of numerous buildings-some
huge, some small; some public, some strictly utilitarian
- but all designed with an eye to the environment-physical,
cultural and social. Even as it falls apart, the
Inn remains a magnificent structure. By contrast,
the majority of contemmporary buildings in Muskoka-
mostly cottages-though smaller and more intimate,
are at odds with everything around them.
The difference is that Bigwin Inn's designs assume
the full range of architectural possibilities.
The context is history, not some ersatz notion of
a Muskoka style, or of local color."

Bigwin Inn was presented to Her Royal Highness
Princess Juliana of the Neterlands in memory of
the Royal Family's stay at the resort during World
War II and of the fiftieth anniversary of the end
of World Warr II. "Princess Juliana was pleasantly
surprised and delighted with Mr. McTaggart's book
Bigwin Inn. The book brought back so many good
memories of the time she and the little princesses
spent at the resort. It is sad to see such a
beautiful place fall into a state of disrepair.
An inn with such a historical past should only but
be preserved,wrote her First Secretary.

"Members of the Ojibway trive have visited Bigwin
Island each summer since the 1800s to pay homage
to several of Bigwin Island's First Nation burial
grounds,"McTaggart states. Al Bigwin of the Alderville
Reserve recently wrote, "My wife and I visited Bigwin
Island two years ago. We were delighted to have
secured much prior knowledge from the book Bigwin
Inn."

Patrons of the resort included Ernest Hemingway,
Franklin Carmichael,Clark Gable, Carole Lombard,
John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Longfellow,
Os-Ke-Non-Ton, PM John Diefenbaker, Glenn Gould,
Cameron Peck and Glenn Miller. Lois Maxwell, popular
for her recurring role as Moneypenny in the
series of James Bond spy film classics and for her
Sun column, wrote, "Bigwin Inn, the nostalgic book
...chock-a-block with vintage black and white photographs
and color plates from the 'thirties has jolted into
mind, scenes, scents and images of elegant people,
dancing in the moonlight and hard work. As a 15-year old,
I fibbed about my age so as to work there as
a waitress one summer...I thank you for those
memories of my youth and innocence, Douglas McTaggart.
Bigwin Inn is a winner!

Mahogany launches, flappers, fortunes won and
lost, big bands, trains, gangsters, prohibition,
steamers, black tie masquerades in the dance
pavilion, opera and film stars lounging by the
Rotunda hearths...
Bigwin Inn by Douglas McTaggart will
take you there...

After reading many books from Osbert Sitwell and buying first editions where I found them only now I have a perfect idea about who and what the man was. A splendid book which it was oimpossible to close after beginning. Everybody interested in this family and man should begin with this work. It is well written, humorous in a convincing way and perfectly thrustworthy and gives you by the way for the most important books "the critical heritage".I am sure every reader will after finishing this books start buying those which he has not been reading. Splendid.

Francis Frith was a professional photographer in Great Britain (having already made a substantial fortune with a printing company) from about 1860, and the picture postcard company he founded and which was carried on by his sons and grandsons lasted until 1970. But its heyday was the twenty years either side of 1900 -- the high Victorian and Edwardian eras and on through the Great War -- in which every post office and village shop in the country, it seemed, carried his images of local sights for sale to tourists. Frith's photos are still very popular among collectors and local historians, for he and his assistants set out to record every single view of interest in the whole of England. The huge collection of images the company left behind were well on the way to uncaring destruction when a group of collectors were able to get hold of the surviving items -- "merely" 60,000 original glass plates and a quarter-million prints, now the basis of an unparalleled visual museum of the lives, work, and social mores of the English people over several generations. Ziegler has contributed the text for this collection of some 650 historical photos, which are accompanied by several hundred recent photos of the same views by John Cleare. For the student of modern social history, the result is fascinating, especially when a series of photos of, say, a seaside resort captures visitors from the 1890s, 1920s, 1950s, and late 1990s; in some cases, the clothing styles are the only significant change. Ziegler is generally quite able at providing context and historical discussion -- where the hedgerows went, the difference in status between the topper and the bowler. My only real complaint in that regard is that the captions of the photos much too frequently simply repeat a sentence or two from the text on the same page; under proper editorial guidance, this would have been an opportunity to slip in an additional remark or observation without adding to the book's length.

I was delighted by 'Britain Then & Now,' Philip Ziegler's book on the amazing Francis Frith landscape photos of Victorian Britain, most of which have been updated by superb contemporary color landscape photos by John Cleare, or by landscape views taken in the same position several decades apart, say in 1900, 1920 & 1950. I have almost never seen this 'then & now' format used for sites in Britain, though it has been very frequently used for sites here in the United States. The changes to the landscape over so many decades are stunning, often shocking. Discover, for example, what is hidden behind the garish neon signage of Piccadilly Circus !! Not a book which is likely to please defenders of advertising, modernism, or "the ubiquitous motor vehicle," but which will not only please, but delight the rest of us. Architecture is supposed to be "the most public of the Fine Arts," yet one has to wonder how respectfully Britain's marvelous legacy of this artwork has been treated, after reading this volume.

Knowledgeably written by Larry Thomas Ward, Canon City, Colorado: Every Picture Tells A Story offers the reader an engaging and colorful history of a genuine "Wild West" town complete with stagecoaches, saloons, bar fights, hangings, gunfights, and vigilante justice. By the 1890s, Canon City had grown from its original days of lawlessness to become one of the most agriculturally advanced areas in the country -- only to see it end by the late 1940s. The informed and informative text is superbly enhanced with the inclusion of more than 200 vintage photographs -- most of which were drawn from the files of the Local History Center. A unique contribution to the growing canon of Western American History, Canon City, Colorado is especially welcome reading, and could well serve as a template for developing and presenting the histories of other frontier communities of the American West.

Knowledgeably written by Larry Thomas Ward, Canon City, Colorado: Every Picture Tells A Story offers the reader an engaging and colorful history of a genuine "Wild West" town complete with stagecoaches, saloons, bar fights, hangings, gunfights, and vigilante justice. By the 1890s, Canon City had grown from its original days of lawlessness to become one of the most agriculturally advanced areas in the country -- only to see it end by the late 1940s. The informed and informative text is superbly enhanced with the inclusion of more than 200 vintage photographs -- most of which were drawn from the files of the Local History Center. A unique contribution to the growing canon of Western American History, Canon City, Colorado is especially welcome reading, and could well serve as a template for developing and presenting the histories of other frontier communities of the American West.

Knowledgeably written by Larry Thomas Ward, Canon City, Colorado: Every Picture Tells A Story offers the reader an engaging and colorful history of a genuine "Wild West" town complete with stagecoaches, saloons, bar fights, hangings, gunfights, and vigilante justice. By the 1890s, Canon City had grown from its original days of lawlessness to become one of the most agriculturally advanced areas in the country -- only to see it end by the late 1940s. The informed and informative text is superbly enhanced with the inclusion of more than 200 vintage photographs -- most of which were drawn from the files of the Local History Center. A unique contribution to the growing canon of Western American History, Canon City, Colorado is especially welcome reading, and could well serve as a template for developing and presenting the histories of other frontier communities of the American West.

In 1910 J. Smeaton Chase and a painter, Carl Eytel, decided to go by horseback down the coast from Los Angeles. They carried their supplies, rifles for hunting, and a boundless curiosity about the landscape that even then was beginning to change. Far from wilderness, the land had a rural agrarian character. But cars were already starting to appear on the roadways and Chase foresaw the coming of an urban landscape that would replace the small Mexican and Native American pueblos and he wanted to see the land as it once was and would never be again.

The 1910 journey only lasted a few months. Highlights of it included visits to what remained of California's Missions, a day among the Torrey Pines, and exploring the table/mesa ecosystem of San Diego County. One of the leading naturalists of his day, Chase writes thoughtfully on all these topics and published scientific papers on several. But this trip only whetted his passion for a longer journey; one that would stretch from Los Angeles northward all the way to the Oregon border. And in 1911, Chase began that trip, replacing his rifle with a fly rod and small pistol.

Chase's journey through the California coastal region includes lyrical prose about both the landscape and the people who inhabited it. A passionate lover of trees, Chase went out of his way to visit Monterrey Cyprus, Santa Lucia Firs, and of course the Redwoods. Of the latter, he wrote, "They seemed to lack the individual majesty of bearing [found in Sierran Sequoias] and gain their distinction rather from the cummulative effect of their statuesque beauty..." Muir Woods, then only a few years old, was described as "the most beautiful of any preserved enclosure that I have ever seen, and the soft gray day gave them their finest aspect." A repeat visitor to Muir Woods, I find Chase's comments still hold today.

Chase was something of a Jack London socialist, a romantic heavily influenced by Rosseau. He enjoyed the company of all classes of people but like his literary mentors Henry Dana and John Muir, found his true calling in nature. But unlike today's environmentalists, Chase was not anti people and for the most part enjoyed their presence in nature. Old habitations held a special fascination for him. But he was clearly an agrarian at heart and the urban landscape that was gradually spreading along California's coastline concerned him. Writing about Morro Bay, he wistfully predicted, "This pretty place is destined, I think, to be more of note than it is now." Chase was correct, but I think he would have preferred to be wrong. If you want a glimpse of his California, by all means read California Coast Trails. It is one of the best examples of that truly American literary genre, trail literature, that has ever appeared in print.

Be careful reading this book: it may change your life. It changed mine. The book inspired me to retrace Mr. Chase's footsteps, or should I say hoof prints. His book is such a delightful "paseo" (leisurely walk) up the stunningly beautiful California Coast that I found myself unable to resist the temptation to do it myself. Thus, there is another description of Mr. Chase's route, produced more than 82 years later, also available on Amazon. Read Mr. Chase's book. Sit back and enjoy the images and personalities of 1911 that Mr. Chase brings to life. Maybe you, too, will be inspired to take your own paseo.

Anyone who appreciates the unspoiled west and california history should find California coast trails by J.Smeaton Chase a pleasant read. Shortly after publishing his diary journals of extensive journeys throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains in Yosemite Trails, Chase embarked on his next adventure on horseback. This trip would take him from Mexico to Oregon along the coastal route of the spacely settled california. Most of the books appeal to me is Chases daily recording of intimate details such as a rare flower or a unique sunset. His daily travels often ended with a campfire on the sand with the ocean waves for a lullabuy. Chases winning personality and knowledge of California history further enhance the book along with frequent references to former events and places of historical significance. California Coast Trails is a trail guide, history book and personal travel diary all in one. You wont regret the read.

When you drive up the "left coast" in California, whether it be along Interstate 5 in the San Diego area, old U. S. Highway 101 or California State Highway 1, you see the familiar mission bells. This book tells the story behind those bells and one of America's great pathways. This road was originally blazed to connect California's mission system, and is a good reference point for a visit to any or all of the missions.

I've always loved el camino since I was a kid so I wasn't sure I had anything to learn about it--boy was I wrong! There is such a wealth of history that I knew nothing about, and this book has it all! Now I can appreciate the road's famous marker bells so much more, knowing how much hard work went into them. I bet a lot of hard work went into this book too, and I am grateful to Mr Kurillo and Ms Tuttle.

California's El Camino Real is the first book to document the growth of El Camino Real and the bells which have marked it for almost a century. Collections strong in California history won't want to miss this coverage: it includes numerous vintage black and white photos, maps, and a smooth coverage of the bells and the El Camino's changing history.

Over the last two summers I have paddled the Fur Trade Route from Pinehouse Lake to Pelican Narrows. This book was the perfect guide with accurate information on rapids, rock paintings, campsites and navigation. This was very important this year with the high water on the Churchill.

Beyond the guide book aspects, this book explains the history, culture, geology and botany of the region. This book is a must own if you're canoeing the route and a great read even if you never dip a paddle.

It is hard to imagine that anyone could ever write a better reference manual to canoeing the historically significant section of the Canadian fur trade route which runs through Saskatchewan. In the summer of 2003 I paddled the entire Churchill and Sturgeon Weir river systems, from the Clearwater River to Cumberland House. This book was an invaluable resource, describing clearly every rapid, portage, and most of the campsites along the river.

Besides its use as a canoeing reference, it is a most comprehensive study of the history of the region, from the fur trade era, to more modern times.

Anyone planning to canoe any Saskatchewan portion of the voyageur's highway should read this book.

This past summer, I put together a three week canoe trip on the churchill river. I found this book in Ric Dreideger's canoe outfitter's store in Missinipe, and immediately bought it. (luckily) Our trip started from Pinehouse lake, and two of us paddled past stanley mission, then backtracked to missinipe, eventually covering some 140 miles. This book covers the whole of the churchill river in detail, while giving brief historical backgrounds about the voyageurs who used to make a living on the waterway. I followed our route in the book, and it was of particular importance when it came to rapids and portages, which were numerous on our route. It was always right on as to the degree of difficulty of the rapids, so we made few mistakes. Once I got confused in a series of rapids as to which was which and ended up running a dangerous one where we were swamped and I injured my knee. However, this can be avoided using *prudent* scouting of all rapids (we were over-zealous), and by paying attention to warnings in the book.

The book also contained information on rock paintings, side trips, and outfitters along the way where we could get supplies.
It's content is cut up into smaller trips with ways to get in and out of the river, which is extremely advantageous.

As a guide book, I think you can't go wrong by purchasing this book for your trip. As I knew basically nothing of this river, (being from kentucky), and since I was only 20 years old, I was lucky in acquiring this book. I owe much to its exactness for keeping myself and the three other people safe.

This book is a steal. I picked it up at library sale just as the other reviewer did. Thinking I would give it to one of my nephews. No way! It is as much a social history as an architectural history. The going ons inside the castle can be pieced together by the numerous entries and their definitions. Any person interested in the Middle Ages would be thrilled to have this title.

I bought a used version... 1983 printing, 249pages, 5.5" by 8" hardcover.

From the cover: "A guide to everything there is to know about exploring castles in England, Scotland and Wales." ...Believe it, this book has a glossary of hundreds of details about castles with black & white sketches for most entries.

If you are a castle enthusiast like I am, you will learn a great deal of castle architecture, history, daily life, etc. I keep it by my bed and browse thru it sometimes before I go to sleep.

I got this from a library sale, thinking it was likely another skim the surface books, instead was delighted to find it so much more. If it has to do with Castles you will find it in here. It has a guide to the notable Castle of Britain for those on the tour, giving you details about its layout and history. It covers the architecture and its reasons and purposes, it goes into the feudal system and how lords, barrons, knights were made and ruled.

Compact, but incisive book that is well written in an interesting fashion for those just now wishing to learn about all aspects of Castle life, weapons and warfare, but also a handy reference guide to writers working with that period.

Highly recommended WISE WRITERS AND READERS History Pick.