Norman Stone Castles (1): The British Isles 1066–1216

Osprey Fortress #13

by Christopher Gravett, Adam Hook (Illustrator)

Descended from the Viking raiders who settled in Northern France under the leadership of Rollo in around 911, the Normans were amongst the most feared warriors of their time. Their territorial ambitions culminated in Duke William 1's conquest of England in 1066, but although victory at Hastings left the English crown in William's hands, Norman sovereignty remained far from established on the island. In order to consolidate his position, the new king built a series of fortifications across the country - this book covers all these developments from the early days of William I through to the fortifications of Henry II, Richard I and John.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction, Norman, Military History

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Chris Gravett is a former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and a recognized authority on the arms, armour, and warfare of the medieval world. He has worked as an advisor for numerous TV and film productions, and has written many books. He currently works as a curator at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.

Reviews

[Adam McPhee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Osprey's medieval military history books but it sucks to think that in 400 years from now there'll be a market for 60-page guides to the kinds of sunglasses Black Water operators wore with footnotes explaining that they don't know how the rest of us lived except that it was probably miserable.

[Bradley White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slim volume but packed full of interesting facts and history of Norman castles. Who doesn't love castles?

It finishes with a description of Norman Castles to visit with a brief description and history of each one.

[Craig Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great photos and drawings. The narrative could have been clearer.