Battle Castles

Explore six of the most remarkable castles in the world and discover what life was like inside. Relive the battles and see how these castles changed he shape of history.

Unlock the secrets of the Battle Castle - brutal, majestic, the ultimate medieval war machine.

Europe, a thousand years ago - the Vikings are on the move; Christendom is militarised and looking eastwards. Amidst this simmering disquiet, a new weapon of war arises, one that will dominate the landscape and politics for hundreds of years to come: the castle.

In this action-packed and fully illustrated account, Dan Snow shows how medieval castles were not just the military 'bones of a kingdom', but also the heart and soul of political and cultural life. Battle Castles explores six of the world's most important castles: Dover Castle, 'the key to England', for centuries the first line of defence against the French; Edward I's Conwy, his most formidable Welsh fortress; Chateau Gaillard, Richard I's stronghold in Normandy; Gibralfaro, the last vanguard of Moorish rule in southern Spain; Malbork, headquarters of the Teutonic Knights in Poland; and, in Syria, Krak Des Chevaliers, a feat of Crusader engineering. These castles were forged to withstand the fiercest of onslaughts and each bore witness to a pivotal field of conflict.

Battle Castles brings to life the epic sieges that these mighty fortifications endured, plunging the reader deep into the world of the Middle Ages. It explores how and why these castles were built, how daily life felt within them, how they were attacked, defended - and finally sacked. Join Dan Snow on the ramparts and in the tunnels, and experience the battle scenes that transformed empires into dust, and mortals into legends.