Product Description

Intricate and meticulous illustrations bring history to life in this wide-ranging castle tour that covers both the majestic splendour of the great halls and the hardships of living in a feudal society - from the building of a castle to shopping in a medieval marketplace. A magnificent 8-page gatefold opens up to a cutaway view of the castle -- both inside and out -- and lets viewers get an up-close view of all the rooms and people going about their everyday tasks. Includes an illustrated glossary and index.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #768796 in Books
• Published on: 1995-04-15
• Released on: 1995-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-9?An approachable, comprehensive, clearly illustrated overview of medieval European (and a few Near Eastern) castles. The book's strengths are its well-organized format and careful balance of text and illustrations. Steele touches on almost every facet of castle construction, inhabitants, celebrations, and rituals, as well as more mundane topics such as sanitation and the kitchen. He gives an excellent, yet simple description of the steps to becoming a knight, the correct way to behave at a banquet, and the roles of peasants. Full-color photographs of realia, period art reproductions, and drawings combine with highlighted or bold text to keep the eye flowing from one page to the next. A four-page foldout of a castle and its environs add distinction to the book. The glossary is well formatted, and an index and illustrated timeline of castles from A.D. 476-1453 make this title a sound choice for young researchers.?Joan Soulliere, Wenham Public Library, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 5^-7. Librarians and teachers will find the format here familiar: oversize and heavily illustrated, with captions providing a good deal of the information. Still, this offering is particularly well designed and accessible, and although it is an overview, lots of topics are covered, among them, chivalry, feast days, jousts, armor, and sieges. A four-page foldout shows the castle inside out. Nothing new, but quite attractive and always useful. Ilene Cooper

Review

Customer Reviews

Castles
"Castles" by Philip Steele, published by Kingfisher, is a wonderful glance into medieval life. Although written for children, this book will appeal to adults as well. "Castles" can provide a special reading time between parent and child. The historical information is presented in a colorful, easy reading format accompanied by beautiful illustrations and well-researched descriptions. Timelines, photographs, and artwork allow the reader to learn many aspects in an entertaining manner. "Castles" encompasses the social system, heraldry, knighthood, and lifestyles of the time period. This book provides a detailed glimpse into the past. Originally, I purchased this book for my nephew, but I will be acquiring a copy in the future for myself and my children. To anyone who wants to encourage their child to learn about this time frame in history, this book is perfect. By the way, I think this book will be a good time for a parent to spend reading with their child.

For medieval history fans
This book is a wonderful source for children and adults that are learning about medieval history. The pictures are magnificent, the facts very accurate and interesting. My younger sister, previously a reluctant reader, disappeared to her room until she had read the whole book! Even after reading it, she still flips through it, just looking at the pictures and coming up with questions for further research. A great resource for a unit plan or medieval themed lesson.

Great book for kids!
This book has colorful and exciting illustrations throughout.

A great book to get kids interested in knights, chivalry and European history.