When we think of castles, for most of us, we think of either fairy tale castles or medieval fortresses that were home to royalty and nobility. However, this only scratches the surface of the history of castles. The origins of structures that we know as castles go back centuries and are still being built in the modern age. And it was not just in Europe where castles were used to defend humanity, but all over the world. Dan Jones has taken on the arduous task of taking his readers on a journey through centuries and across continents to tell the stories of some amazing architecture. This is his latest tome, “Castles: A Fortified History of the World.”

I want to thank Viking and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. As many of you know, I am a huge Dan Jones fan, so when I heard that he was writing a new nonfiction book, I knew I wanted to read it. When it was announced that it was going to be about the history of castles, it caught my attention because one of my favorite documentary series was Secrets of Great British Castles, so I knew this was going to be a very good book. I wanted to see how well Jones would be tackling architectural history in a book.

Jones begins our journey with an explanation of what a castle is before exploring the Bronze Age cities, with a special emphasis on the legendary city of Troy. Each chapter of this book focuses on a different era of history and explores famous castles from the period and how they were important. We also get to see the archaeological work done at these sites and how the research gives us even more delightful stories that make the past even richer.

After the Bronze Age and Troy, we move to Iron Age Hillforts in Britannia, with a highlight of Maiden Castle. We then move to the Islamic Castles, which include the fantastic Alhambra Castle, a familiar castle to those who study the life of Catherine of Aragon and her family. Our journey continues with the Viking ring fortresses and the Norman castles, which include Baynard Castle and the Tower of London. Jones goes back to his roots by exploring the Crusader castles, such as Jacob’s Ford and Château Pèlerin. Then you have your chivalric castles, like Caernarfon Castle, the great walls associated with Hadrian, and the Great Wall of China. The Renaissance ushered in great halls like Castel Sant’ Angel while being defensive, like the samurai castles such as Osaka Castle. Finally, we explore the fantasy castles, bringing to mind the Sleeping Beauty Castle of Disneyland and the castles that were used for modern wars. Jones even explores American castles, which as an American that felt a little odd because I never considered the US having castles.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the architectural history of castles. Jones did cover a lot of ground in this book and several centuries. Of course, he couldn’t cover every castle on every continent, as that would constitute a book series instead of a single tome. If you are someone who wants to read about castles all around the world, I highly recommend you read “Castles: A Fortified History of the World” by Dan Jones.