This revised edition of an established reference work aims to bring to life every aspect of castles and castle life - why and how they were built, the weapons that were used in them, their social life in ordinary and extraordinary times, their provisioning, their maintenance and their changing role in a changing political climate. The 17 thematic chapters are followed by a gazetteer which describes in detail over a thousand castles. The illustrations comprise plans, photographs, vignettes and drawings of sieges, weaponry, architectural details and complete buildings.