Siege: Castles at War [Hardcover]

Daniel Diehl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

Siege: Castles at War surveys the fortifications that the ancients (the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans) employed to defend themselves and how these fortresses evolved into the castles of the Middle Ages. Richly illustrated with photos of castle ruins and intricate drawings of castle interiors and exteriors, this book furnishes the who, why, and how of siege warfare.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This slim, colorful book (containing 150 photos and diagrams) offers a good overview of medieval siege warfare. The authors use a fictional battle between the English and French to drive their narrative, but also provide plenty of historical information on how castles were attacked and how they defended themselves. In addition to surveying the weapons, armor, and tactics used, Donnelly and Diehl include interesting social trivia: Medieval armies that went off to war, for example, usually had a cadre of prostitutes in tow. Readers who hunger for detail will want to go looking elsewhere, but those who want simply a taste of how castles went to war may find their appetite satisfied here. --John J. Miller

From Booklist

This companion to a TV documentary will include a lavish complement of illustrations, unavailable for review, of medieval siegecraft as portrayed by historical reenactors instead of as frequently inaccurately rendered in medieval prints. Evaluating it on its text alone is rather chancy, yet Donnelly and Diehl can be said to acquit themselves most creditably. The first quarter of the book rather cursorily summarizes the emergence of fortifications and their role in medieval warfare, which reached its height in the Hundred Years' War. The remainder splendidly details the hypothetical siege of a French castle by an English army. Donnelly and Diehl present the elaborate etiquette of sieges; both pre-and post-gunpowder mining tactics; a typology of siege engines (some of them exceedingly formidable) and of archery (the crossbow was more powerful and probably more accurate than the longbow but much slower in shooting); and medieval logistics, which, for an army of 16,000, were impressively complex. Even without the pictures, a valuable addition to military and medieval collections. Roland Green

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878332138
• ISBN-13: 978-0878332137
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,704,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After nearly 14 years in Britain, Mark P. Donnelly returned to the United States where he continues to write history for publication and broadcast. To date he has scripted and/or produced nearly 200 hours of non-fiction documentary television for The History Channel, Dicovery Channel, PBS, BBC, National Geographic, Bio/A&E and more. He has also authored or co-authored 15 books on a wide variety of historical subjects.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars covers the basics but not worth the price, August 4, 2000

By 

Robb Hughes (corinth, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siege: Castles at War (Hardcover)

Although this book covers many of the unusual aspects of siege warfare, it only manages to scrape the surface of them. The illustrations in the book were either useless photos or very well done drafting images. All in all, this book is great for an overview with a view intresting pictures but fails to be worth its price.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars So many errors, avoid like the Black Death, May 24, 2004

By 

Kelly DeVries (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Siege: Castles at War (Hardcover)

This book is filled from cover to cover with errors of fact that it should be avoided by everyone looking for a history of medieval fortifications, especially as there are so many very good ones that are out there! Avoid like the Black Death!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Siege : Castles at War, July 9, 2000

By 

Maximillian Ben Hanan (Sacramento, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siege: Castles at War (Hardcover)

"Siege : Castles at War" is a very good read for those interested in castles. The book is essentially an adaption of two medieval scholars' NOVA television special that aired on public television (PBS)recently (1999). The authors of this book, both university professors of medieval studies, really know what they're talking about and this book is ready proof that they've spent a life researching medieval culture and warfare. I checked this book out from my local public library and have now hinted to my girlfriend that I'd like a copy for my birthday! The text is well-written, easy-to-read, factual as well as interesting, and, best of all, embellished with wonderful period illustrations. I enjoyed this book as did the sixth-grade child who I have tutoring in history. While my young tutoree enjoyed the book, the text is most definitely written for adult readers. I highly advise this book to those who want to learn more about castles and medieval warfare.