Castles

From New York Times bestselling historian Dan Jones, a grand and sweeping exploration of the world’s most awe-inspiring buildings, told through the lives of the people that fought, prayed, survived, and died within them

Few structures are as revered and iconic in our minds as castles. Home to gods, to royals, to the princesses of fairy tales, their existence is a time capsule, epitomizing the priorities and style of an era. In this singular history, Dan Jones explores the evolution of castles and the lasting grip they have maintained on the human imagination. From the city of Troy that launched a thousand stories to Alexander the Great’s spectacular citadel, from the “hillforts” of Southern England to the Ribat of Sousse and the other stunning monuments of the Islamic empire that stud the Mediterranean, Jones unspools the stories of each structure and what they meant in their time. Strongholds, marvels, tributes, declarations of power – castles have served as all of this and more. In diving into edifices around the world, Jones opens the door to investigate the people who built them, the civilizations they defended, and the way their reception continues to influence how we see history.

Though the protective function of castles has become less immediate, we are still left with the desire for the grandeur and awe that drives people in droves to visit the Scottish Highlands, the Red Fort of Delhi, the fantasy-turned-reality of Disneyworld. Written with Jones’ signature narrative flair, Castles is at once a history and an indulgence, an explanation of our intercultural obsession and a delightful trip through time and space.