MANY OF THE GREAT fortifications of the Middle Ages are still standing today, often dominating the surrounding countryside. Why were they originally built and who lived in them? A castle was the fortified private residence of a lord.

CHRISTOPHER GRAVETT Be an interactive eyewitness to the exciting world of the medieval fortress,from a deadly siege to what life was really like behind the battlements.

What is a castle?

The first castles

The great tower

Concentric castles

Castles on the Loire

Castles in Spain

Castles in Germany

The chapel

Laying a siege

Men and missiles

Tricks of defence

The garrison

The castle as prison

Crusader castles

Castles in Japan

The great hall

The kitchen

At table

The entertainers

Women and children

The lord

Fabrics and textiles

In the fields

Animals in the castle

The castle builders

The woodworkers

Metalwork

Castles in decline

Did you know?

Who's who?

Find out more

Glossary

Index