Norman Stone Castles (2): Europe 950–1204 (Fortress Book 18) Kindle Edition

The Normans who conquered England in 1066 were also masters of the Dukedom of Normandy in France, and in time would also control Sicily and parts of Italy. In all their lands, the Normans quickly became proficient at the building of castles, borrowing techniques from the natives and improving on them. Norman Stone Castles (2) is a very readable Osprey Fortress Series entry, and a follow-up to an early book on Norman castles in England.Although many of the European castles built by the Normans have not survived the centuries, author Christopher Gravett and illustrator Adam Hook find plenty of examples from the period 950 to 1204. The book offers a quick introduction and chronology before getting into the details of those examples. Chateau-Galliard, built on a piece of key terrain, gets an extensive look, as does Falaise. The narrative is wrapped around a short history of the Normans in continental Europe, and includes chapters on the defense of the castles and life within their walls. The text is enhanced by a very nice collection of photographs, maps and illustrations. Well recommended to those with an interest in the Normans and their castles.

good book

The Osprey Fortress boulmes are justly famed for their all around excellence. "Norman Stone Castles 2" is outstanding in this grand company. This is not simply a book of pretty pictures, although the drawings by artist Adam Hook are wonderful, colorful and exquisitely detailed. Besides Mr. Hook's drawings we have the gift of many photos of castles as they exist today, ruins in other words. In a recent to the Osprey books innovation, many of the photos are in full color. That adds a lot to the reader's enjoyment and understanding. Author Christopher Gravett ends the book with thumbnail descriptions of literately dozens of castles in Normandy, Sicily and Southern Italy. In each brief entry he gives the location and current status of that particular castle. Mr. Gravett knows his castles. For a time in his career he served as the senior curator at the Tower of London. Gravett covers the subject in great detail, much more detail than we have any reason to expect in a 64 page book. He covers things that we might expect such as life in a castle and a castle at war. Not expected are details like the cost of castles to the people who built them. This book is well worth the small cost for any of us with an interest in the subject.

This is, perhaps a bit oddly given that many castles in Normandy (and in Italy to a lesser extent) predated the second booklet on Norman castles, after the one on castles in the British Isles. Both have the same structure, as other volumes in the Fortress series. Both also have a useful little gazette listing several dozen of castles at the end. Both are also introductions. They do not pretend to provide a comprehensive survey of all castles located in the regions that they cover, but only a sample including the main ones and illustrating the main features of castles during the period under review.One of my main reservations with this volume, and one of the reasons why I have rated it four stars instead of five, is that I was less impressed by the sections on Southern Italy and Sicily than by those on Normandy. This is partly due to the fact that the former are allocated much less space than the latter. It is also because some of the buildings selected by the author (La Ziza and La Cuba in particular), are palaces rather than castles built for defence and they have few - if any - Norman features.The section on "the castles at War" shows the same discrepancy. While the pieces on Normandy - the sieges of Duke William (not yet "the Conqueror"), those of the civil war opposing King Stephen and Mathilda and Geoffrey of Anjou and then the wars between the Plantagenets and the King of France arte good, the equivalent for Italy is much less so. In the latter case, a number of sieges are mentioned, but none are really described.Château-Gaillard is the castle selected for a "special tour". While this may seem unoriginal to some, the reasons for doing so are rather obvious. The fortress is (and its ruins still are) impressive and its strategic value in controlling access to Normandy and the Seine valley was considerable. It is also the best example of a Norman castle built at the end of the 12th century and incorporating most of the innovations in fortification while still retaining a donjon.Incidentally, other sections of the booklet are rather good, starting with the introduction which clearly shows the evolution that lead to stone castles and the periods of instability when most of them appeared. The piece on Design and Development lists the main evolutions in castle building and gives some indication with regards to their (considerable) cost.The combination of pictures, plans and plates of castles is particularly good, allowing the authors to present an impressively large number of sites despite the limited space that was available to them. The same combination is also used to illustrate the various evolutions, starting with single towers, then donjons that are part of an enclosure to end with the complex and elaborate fortification of Château-Gaillard. The illustrations of early towers (page 30) Caen (page 35), Chambois and Falaise (page 50), are particularly good. The maps of Normandy and Southern Italy and Sicily located the main castles mentioned ion the booklet are also useful.It is therefore a pity that the volume is somewhat marred by a few typos that a good editor could have picked. For instance, Robert Guiscard died in 1085 (in July), and not the year before, as indicated. He did not, of course, capture "Damascus" in 1082, contrary to what the chronology mentions, but Dyrrachium.

This is, perhaps a bit oddly given that many castles in Normandy (and in Italy to a lesser extent) predated the second booklet on Norman castles, after the one on castles in the British Isles. Both have the same structure, as other volumes in the Fortress series. Both also have a useful little gazette listing several dozen of castles at the end. Both are also introductions. They do not pretend to provide a comprehensive survey of all castles located in the regions that they cover, but only a sample including the main ones and illustrating the main features of castles during the period under review.One of my main reservations with this volume, and one of the reasons why I have rated it four stars instead of five, is that I was less impressed by the sections on Southern Italy and Sicily than by those on Normandy. This is partly due to the fact that the former are allocated much less space than the latter. It is also because some of the buildings selected by the author (La Ziza and La Cuba in particular), are palaces rather than castles built for defence and they have few - if any - Norman features.The section on "the castles at War" shows the same discrepancy. While the pieces on Normandy - the sieges of Duke William (not yet "the Conqueror"), those of the civil war opposing King Stephen and Mathilda and Geoffrey of Anjou and then the wars between the Plantagenets and the King of France arte good, the equivalent for Italy is much less so. In the latter case, a number of sieges are mentioned, but none are really described.Château-Gaillard is the castle selected for a "special tour". While this may seem unoriginal to some, the reasons for doing so are rather obvious. The fortress is (and its ruins still are) impressive and its strategic value in controlling access to Normandy and the Seine valley was considerable. It is also the best example of a Norman castle built at the end of the 12th century and incorporating most of the innovations in fortification while still retaining a donjon.Incidentally, other sections of the booklet are rather good, starting with the introduction which clearly shows the evolution that lead to stone castles and the periods of instability when most of them appeared. The piece on Design and Development lists the main evolutions in castle building and gives some indication with regards to their (considerable) cost.The combination of pictures, plans and plates of castles is particularly good, allowing the authors to present an impressively large number of sites despite the limited space that was available to them. The same combination is also used to illustrate the various evolutions, starting with single towers, then donjons that are part of an enclosure to end with the complex and elaborate fortification of Château-Gaillard. The illustrations of early towers (page 30) Caen (page 35), Chambois and Falaise (page 50), are particularly good. The maps of Normandy and Southern Italy and Sicily located the main castles mentioned ion the booklet are also useful.It is therefore a pity that the volume is somewhat marred by a few typos that a good editor could have picked. For instance, Robert Guiscard died in 1085 (in July), and not the year before, as indicated. He did not, of course, capture "Damascus" in 1082, contrary to what the chronology mentions, but Dyrrachium.

Exactly as described....very helpful

Quick dispatch and good product

To be admired for the coverage given, albeit of a once over lightly of a fascinating topic. Tantalises with snippets supported by well chosen photos and art work. Encourages one to dive deeper into the period and personalities who drove the construction of these physical manifestations of human ambition.