In Castle Builders, Malcolm Hislop looks at the hugely popular subject of castles from the unusual perspective of design and construction. In this general introduction to the subject, we discover something of the personalities behind their creation - the architects and craftsmen - and, furthermore, the techniques they employed, and how style and technology was disseminated. Castle Builders takes both a thematic and a chronological approach to the design and construction of castles, providing the reader with clear lines of development. Themes include earth, timber and stone construction techniques, the evolution of the great tower, the development of military engineering, the progression of domestic accommodation, and the degree to which aesthetics contributed to castle design.

"Obviously the most concentrated period of castle building occurred shortly after the Norman invasion in 1066. Author Malcolm Hislop uncovers some fascinating facts about the people who designed and built the amazing fortresses that have survived to the present day."

"This encyclopaedic work provides a comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the Medieval Castle and is likely to become a standard reference work on the subject. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in both castles per se and the ‘Medieval era’ / ‘Middle Ages’ in general."

"A look at the hugely popular subject of castles from the unusual perspective of design and construction. In this general introduction to the subject, we discover something of the personalities behind their creation - the architects and craftsmen - and, furthermore, the techniques they employed, and how style and technology was disseminated."

"There's no shortage of books on castles, many of them derivative or dull. This is neither...... The best book on castles for some time."

Architectural details and military engineers are naturally in the foreground and castle communities in the background, but the execution is superb, the detail and the text accurate, incisive and navigable. The result is a volume that is going to be consulted rather than pushing debates in different directions, but it serves a very useful purpose, will stand the test of time, and fills a gap in the existing literature.