Table of contents

Child pages

Books

Amazon - The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts, And Walled Cities Of The Middle Ages

• Looks good...

The book is built up of five main chapters.

• The First deals with the elements of a fortification;
• the Second deals in general with the different kind of fortifications in different parts of Europe (Islamic, Byzantine, Frankish, British, Norse, Slavic and Magyar (Hungarian));
• the Third does the same, but with emphasis on the emerging castle;
• the Fourth chapter introduces gunpowder and the decline of the high castle walls through the description of several sieges (Constantinople, Rhodes, and siege of fortifications during the Reconquista);
• Chapter Five goes in depth with some selected fortifications in Europe: Some of the more famous ones and some more obscure.

Amazon - Castles: Their Construction and History

• This looks like it may not be as good as "The Medieval Fortress"

This concise, scholarly volume traces the history of the castle from its ancient roots in the Levant, through Roman times and the Middle Ages, to the fanciful chateaux of the sixteenth century. Profusely illustrated with nearly 200 photographs, floor-plan diagrams, and pen-and-ink renderings, Castles explores innovations in castle design, siege operations, artillery, and other weapons, living conditions within the castle, and clearly explains intriguing features of construction: moats, baileys, keeps, donjons, barbicans, double curtains, loopholes, and many others.

Amazon - Castle by David Macaulay

Castle, like most of Macaulay's books, tells the story of all features in the building of a great work, in this case it is Aberwyvern, a forbidding castle King Edward I is constructing on the Welsh frontier. Macaulay leads us through the selection of the location for the fortress, the clearing of the earth, the setting of the foundation, and the building of its mighty walls and skyscraping towers. He introduces us to the masons and laborers, soldiers and nobles who will live and work at Aberwyvern. And just when the castle is done, Macaulay shows us a Medieval seige in all its brutal depth, as the native Welsh fiercely battle the invading English and seek to bring down their imposing castle.

Both castle and town were intended as tools of conquest but each had its own distinct function. The castle and the wall which was built around the town were primarily defensive structures.

Whatever offensive use they had stemmed from their placement along important supply and communication routes and to some extent from their intimidating appearance. Their most important function was to protect the new town. Once established and prosperous, the town would provide a variety of previously unavailable social and economic opportunities, not only to the English settlers who would first occupy it, but eventually to the Welsh as well. By gradually eliminating the need and desire for military confrontation a town, unlike a castle, would contribute to both conquest and peace. [NW: As I read this I can't help but think of how modern tech companies aim to create a "platform", which would be the castle in this example. They then hope that a community will develop on top of its platform, which would be the analog to the town in this example.]

In order to protect his newly acquired land, Lord Kelvin immediately began making preparations to build both a castle and a town. [NW: Building a product that can immediately serve as a platform for a community.] He hired James of Babbington, a master engineer of great skill, to design the project and supervise the work. [NW: Have a great technical cofounder.] At King Edward's suggestion a site was to be selected along the coast near the mouth of the river Wyvern, a vital link between the mountainous interior and the sea. [NW: Have an experienced VC who you trust will give you good strategic advice.] After considering several possibilities, Master James and his staff selected on the exact location.

The castle was to be built on a high limestone outcrop, which extended into the water. This took advantage of the natural defensive properties of the river and, at the same time, because of the height of the outcrop, assured an unbroken view of the adjacent land. [NW: Look for businesses with some kind of natural defensive property.] At the foot of the outcrop, where the castle site was accessible from the land, he located the town. It would act as a landward barrier and together with the river would create the castle's first ring of defense.

In addition to his staff, Master James had brought with him diggers, carpenters, and several boatloads of timber, tools, and hardware. [NW: You need capital to create a company of substantial size.]

Amazon - Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons: A Fully Illustrated Guide To Siege Weapons And Tactics

• Looks good.

Websites

http://www.castles-of-britain.com/defenses.htm

Moats were kept full by a nearby water supply: a spring, lake, stream, or river. The builders would put a dam on the outlet side of the water supply, and control the water level in the moat. Some moats had stone casings, but most were left with earthen banks. Most castles, however, had dry moats, known simply as ditches.

Wikipedia - Fortifications