Much of British history has been enacted in our castles, hundreds of which remain in whole or in part for exploration and enquiry. It is an enormous subject, and Plantagenet Somerset Fry has devoted much of a lifetime to the preparation of this first comprehensive guide to the castles of the United Kingdom, which breaks new ground in a number of ways.It brings to life every aspect of castles: why and how they were built, their relation to each other, what weapons were used in them, the social life in ordinary and extraordinary times, provisions, maintenance, and of, course an everchanging role with changing politics.The book is in two parts: seventeen superbly illustrated thematic chapters will give insight and excitement to a visit to a castle, whether large or small, intact or in ruins; there follows a gazetteer which describes over a thousand castles, more than any previous single-volume work. Many are illustrated with a plan, and in every case we learn the basic facts about the castle including its appearance, today and in the past. There are hundreds of plans, photographs and beautifully drawn vignettes and larger images of sieges, their associatied weaponry, architectural details as well as complete buildings.