An illustrated, concise account of the development and decline of castle architecture, this discusses the great variety in style, strength and location of castles. Examining castles both as fortresses in times of war and as residences, the author concentrates on eight castles which represent the apogee of medieval fortification and describes the famous sieges of Rochester, Kenilworth and Bedford. R.Allen Brown has written several standard texts on castles and a number of guidebooks on individual castles.