Castles: England + Scotland + Ireland + Wales [Hardcover]

Plantagenet Fry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

Britain and Ireland are home to hundreds of castles, some still lived in, some reduced to little more than lumps and bumps in the landscape. Many of them have been the scene of great historical events - negotiations, battles, sieges, executions, kidnappings and betrayals, and all have often bloody and grim stories to tell. Today, most castles are fascinating and romantic places to visit. They include Windsor, a vast and rambling warren that would still be recognized by medieval visitors; Carreg Cennen, a fabulous ruin complete with a cliff-side 'secret' tunnel set in breathtaking landscapes in the mountains of Wales; Hermitage in the Scottish Lowlands, where Mary Queen of Scots rode alone to visit her secret lover; and Blarney, most famous for the stone you should kiss in order to gain eloquence, but also one of Ireland's most impressive castles. "Castles" is based on the classic work by Plantagenet Somerset Fry and has been completely revised and redesigned for this brand new edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Plantagenet Somerset Fry worked in journalism and public relations, and he was the

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: David & Charles (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0715322125
• ISBN-13: 978-0715322123
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > Travel > Europe > Great Britain > Wales

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Castles, December 18, 2007

By 

J. Williams (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Castles: England + Scotland + Ireland + Wales (Hardcover)

My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip through England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, so this book seemed like the perfect Christmas gift for him. The book has beautiful photographs of some of the best known castles, however I was a little disappointed that the information on each castle was minimal. I was hoping for a little more background history on each one. I was also disappointed that our favorite, Ross Castle in Killarney Ireland was not included. Overall, it will make a nice keepsake to remember a trip of a lifetime, and I'm sure will have a place of honor on our coffee table for some time.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Terrific Book, November 9, 2007

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Castles: England + Scotland + Ireland + Wales (Hardcover)

Firstly what a wonderful name for an author of such a book, secondly what a wonderful book he has written. The British Isles is littered with castles of varying sizes and in various states of repair, or disrepair as the case may be. This book attempts to give you a guided tour of some of the best and there are far more than you think that are complete or almost complete.

Many of the most famous castles in our history have crumbled to little more than a pile of stones and we can only romanticise about how they looked, who built them and lived there and the events that occurred during their long history

But on the reverse of the coin we have castles that are still inhabited even today and one of the oldest, the tower of London is still in an excellent state of repair. Windsor is inhabited by the Queen and Warwick Castle and Leeds Castle look almost as good as the day they were built.

In Scotland, Edinburgh and Stirling have stood the rigours of time and Caernarfon Castle in Wales is a legacy of Edward I, being built on the site of what was a Roman fortress and then a Norman motte and bailey. Another Welsh castle in the beautiful town of Conway has not stood the test of time so well, but the superstructure is more or less still there. There is something magical about a castle when you are inside it. Perhaps it is the presence of long dead residents, or the mighty deeds and events that happened within those enormous walls. Whatever it is this book helps to bring to life our history with a profusion of photographs and information galore. Almost everyone likes a Castle and this book takes you on a enchanting tour from ruins through to the splendour of a fully preserved structure.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very good for the price, July 26, 2007

By 

N. hayes "orielwindowster" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Castles: England + Scotland + Ireland + Wales (Hardcover)

I really wanted a nice comprehensive book about this subject. This is a wonderful product but the only thing I would suggest to make this a 5 star book would be more intensive pictures. There are a lot (multitudes in fact) of places, castles, ruins that are simply listed with no pictures or in-depth facts to accompany the listings. That was somewhat disappointing.