Castle
by David Macaulay
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Description
Text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a "typical" castle and adjoining town in thirteenth-century Wales.Tags
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Member Reviews
Castle is the story of building a castle and town in late-13th-century England. While I thought Macaulay's Cathedral was excellent on architecture, I wanted more context, and here he includes both. There are fabulous drawings, in perspectives from bird’s-eye to worm’s-eye and everything in between. And there’s background about the purpose of a castle (i.e. military, and not just defensive [to “resist direct attack and withstand a siege”] but also offensive [strategic “placement along important supply and communication routes” e.g. in the conquest of Wales]) and the purpose of the accompanying town (to “provide a variety of previously unavailable social and economic opportunities” that would benefit both the English and show more eventually the Welsh and promote peace). Excellent! show less
Despite the fact the castle and surround community are imaginary, the construction of the castle itself, in 1286 Wales, is a realistic blueprint. A lot of detail went into explaining the process, complete with a layout of all the tools for a carpenter's trade as well as the weapons of war. . As an aside, I loved the little culprit sitting in the dungeon. Equally amusing was how they disposed of human waste. Yes, I have that kind of humor sometimes. I heard that Castle was also made into a documentary.
I've had this book for years but took it off the shelf for another look. A beautifully drawn - as in architectural illustrations - history of the building of a fictional castle in Wales in the 1200's and the town that grew around it. A joy to re-read.
I reread this book after nearly ten years; it remains a brilliant educational and entertaining book. Macaulay once more uses his plot device of describing a fictional edifice, this being a kind of Platonic ideal of the Crusader-era medieval castle, framed within proper historical conflict of England’s conquest of Wales in the Thirteenth Century. We see the castle itself, the city walls, and a thriving town rise from it’s foundations in these pages with delightful and realistic illustrations. Young readers will enjoy learning how much effort and difficulty goes into the construction, and the details of how it’s inhabitants lived and how the fortress is defended.
If I could find one complaint it is how he speaks of the conflict in show more rather glossy terms, describing the inevitable way the welsh will mix with the English and how both will benefit from the stability the castle and it’s new associated town provide. Reality is far bloodier, but he does do us the favor of depicting the violence of welsh revolts in an exciting way that will draw in young readers. show less
If I could find one complaint it is how he speaks of the conflict in show more rather glossy terms, describing the inevitable way the welsh will mix with the English and how both will benefit from the stability the castle and it’s new associated town provide. Reality is far bloodier, but he does do us the favor of depicting the violence of welsh revolts in an exciting way that will draw in young readers. show less
Castle is an illustrated engineering feat for those who ask, "how did they build those castles, anyhow?" From the how to the why, author/illustrator David Macaulay delivers a blueprint of information that your children (and yourself) can spend hours investigating. This Caldecott Award-winning book details the design and construction of medieval castles using the tools people had access to at the time. Though the name of the castle is fictional, the contexts and engineering is directly from the British countryside. If you've ever marveled at how artists illustrate in perspective in primarily ink, David Macaulay's books will keep you entertained and educated for years.
David Macauley has written a series of informative books about architectural wonders. Castle describes the construction of an imaginary castle in Wales, in order to illustrate the methods of the actual construction of actual castles built to aid in the conquest of Wales between 1277 and 1305. The imaginary town in which he locates his castle is also based on actual towns in that place and time. He writes: “This combination of castle and town in a military program displays both superior strategical skill and the farsightedness required for truly successful conquest.”
A glossary is included in the back of the book.
Evaluation: This book will more than satisfy both kids and adults curious about the amazing steps taken to create such show more enormous buildings without any modern equipment. Fine pen and ink drawings add to understanding the process. show less
A glossary is included in the back of the book.
Evaluation: This book will more than satisfy both kids and adults curious about the amazing steps taken to create such show more enormous buildings without any modern equipment. Fine pen and ink drawings add to understanding the process. show less
David Macaulay's Castle has been around since 1977, like an old castle it continues to have timeless appeal and will be a fixture in the reading landscape for generations. Castle architecture is a complex business and Macaulay chisels away with pen and ink drawings at some of the more interesting features, it's not as complex as Cathedral or Mill (my favorite), but accessible to young readers and interesting enough for adults. The fictional back-story restores important context that is often lost when looking at historical buildings: castles were built for a particular purpose, by a certain person, at a particular time -- having long outlived those times and people, they remain in our lives as permanent reminders of fleeting show more mortality.
--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2010 cc-by-nd show less
--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2010 cc-by-nd show less
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Author Information
David Macaulay was born on December 2, 1946 in Lancashire, England, but moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey when he was 11. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Before becoming an author and illustrator, he worked as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and instructor of interior show more design at RISD from 1969 to 1973. His first book, Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, was published in 1973. His other books include City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Mosque, The Way Things Work, Rome Antics, Shortcut,and How Machines Work. He has received numerous awards including a Caldecott Honor Medal in 1991 for Black and White and the Washington Children's Book Guild Award for a Body of Non-Fiction Work in 1977. He won the Royal Society young people¿s book prize for the best science books for children for his book How Machines Work. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Borgen, så byggdes den
- Original title
- Castle
- Original publication date
- 1977 (1e édition originale anglaise) (1e édition originale anglaise); 1978 (1e tradution par Roger Hanoune et édition française, Deux coq d'or) (1e tradution par Roger Hanoune et édition française, Deux coq d'or); 2018-05-17 (Nouvelle réédition reformatée traduite par Anne Cohen Beucher, Album, L'école des Loisirs) (Nouvelle réédition reformatée traduite par Anne Cohen Beucher, Album, L'école des Loisirs)
- People/Characters
- Edward I, King of England; Kevin le Strange, Lord of Aberwyvern; Lady Catherine, Lady of Aberwyvern; James of Babbington, Master Engineer; Walter of Ipswich, Lord's Baliff; Thomas of Aberwyvern, Master Shoemaker (show all 11); Oliver of Aberwyvern, Master Tailor; Robert of Aberwyvern, Chaplain; Lionel of Aberwyvern, Barber & Doctor; Master John of Aberwyvern, Cook; Prince Daffyd of Gwynedd
- Important places
- Wales, UK; Wyvern River; Aberwyvern; Aberwyvern Castle
- Dedication
- To the past -- farewell
- First words
- On March 27, 1283, King Edward I of England named Kevin le Strange to be Lord of Aberwyvern -- a rich but rebellious are of northwest Wales.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)By that time Master James's might castle sood partially roofless and completely neglected except as a quarry for new buildings, and his once impressive town wall was now more of a nuisance to the town fathers than a necessity.
- Original language*
- Anglais (Royaume-Uni) (Royaume-Uni)
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Reviews
- 49
- Rating
- (4.23)
- Languages
- 8 — Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 35
- UPCs
- 3
- ASINs
- 14