Customer Reviews

Castle (DK Eyewitness Books)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Like all the Eyewitness books, the quantity of information in Castle is both its strong point and weak point. We are taken to castles through time as well as in different cultures, and both the architectural and sociological aspects are examined. However, many of the facts and pictures included on a given page seem rather random and do not fit into a coherent general presentation.

Castle is good fun if one remembers to read the main sections and the details when they're specifically interesting, but to just enjoy the pictures for some of the minutia.

DK Publishing is know for their wonderful photographs and beautifully illustrated books. Unfortunately this is not one of them. They built a 3d computer models of a castles and used images of that to illustrate most of the book. Though illustrative it feels artificial and inauthentic. I wish there were more photos of real castles. If they are going to use a 3d model then they should include a disk with interactive views of that model.

Like Eyewitness Books? This is another nice entry in their series for younger readers. What is a castle? The book describes it thus: "A castle was the fortified private residence of a lord." The lord could be a king or a baron or some lesser noble. It was designed as both a residence AND a stronghold. The book begins by noting that such structures have had a long history (one ancestor goes back to Mycenae in about 1250 B.C.).

The volume moves on to consider the first castles (appearing in the 9th and 10th centuries A.D.). There is discussion of different approaches to building a castle--such as the use of concentric rings to harden the castle against attack. There are also discussions of different styles in castles--from the Loire region in France to Spanish castles, to German castles (take a trip along the Rhine River, and you will see numerous examples) to Japan. There is discussion of how those who wanted to capture a castle would strategize and how castles were structured to defend against such attacks.

The volume considers the different functions of a castle--from defense to kitchens and eating to entertainment.

The volume concludes with a discussion of the decline of castles.

All in all, a useful volume in the Eyewitness Books portfolio. Young readers, many of whom are enchanted by castles, are likely to find this a fun read--and a source of knowledge.

Eyewitness books give readers complete information in short 'blurbs' and captioned pictures. These books are always the first to be checked out in our school library...our students LOVE THEM...and parents, you will too!

A wonderful book for children grades 3-6 who are interested in all things medieval. Huge amounts of information without a lot of reading, just enough to add to the wonderful photography. A must for children interested in finding out more

My first grader loved this book while working on his castle unit at school.

Eyewitness Castles, Medieval Life, Knights: Boring. Eyewitness Castle isn't that good. It is very boring. The water Eyewitness books like Eyewitness SHARK are far more better then Castles, Medieval Life and Knights.