Castles in Medieval Society: Fortresses in England, France, and Ireland in the Central Middle Ages

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Charles L. H. Coulson (, Honorary Research Fellow School of History, University of Kent)

Castles in Medieval Society

Fortresses in England, France, and Ireland in the Central Middle Ages

Charles L. H. Coulson (, Honorary Research Fellow School of History, University of Kent)

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English

Oxford University Press
01 October 2004

European history; Early history: c 500 to c 1450&1500

In this challenging new book Charles Coulson overturns many of the traditional assumptions about the nature and purpose of castle-building in the middle ages. He demolishes the traditional belief that castles were overwhelmingly military in their function, showing how this was simply one aspect of a more complicated whole. He sets out to recreate the medieval understanding of castles as symbolically fortified places of all kinds, from ancient walled post-Roman towns and prestigious religious enclaves to transitory campaign forts. Going back to the original sources, Dr Coulson proposes a new and more subtle understanding of the function and symbolism of castles as well as vivid insights into the lives of the people who inhabited them. Fortresses were only occasionally caught up in war, but constantly were central to the ordinary life of all classes: of the nobility and gentry, of widows and heiresses, of prelates and clergy, of peasantry and townspeople alike. Castles in Medieval Society presents and explores this broad social panorama.

By: Charles L. H. Coulson ( Honorary Research Fellow School of History University of Kent)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9780199273638
ISBN 10: 0199273634
Pages: 300
Publication Date: 01 October 2004
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for Castles in Medieval Society: Fortresses in England, France, and Ireland in the Central Middle Ages

Much of what Coulson proposed was ground-breaking for the time, and the effect is to be seen in the work of the current generation of castle scholars ... This is a book not to be missed Gill Dowdall-Brown, Casemate ...There can be no doubt that this is an important, agenda-setting work...nobody with any interest in the medieval castle can afford to ignore it.