Writing for castle enthusiasts and scholars who might not be aware of the revolution in the subject that has occurred in the last decade, Liddiard, (landscape history, U. of East Anglia) describes new thinking about castles that extends beyond their role as military fortresses. The emphasis is on how people experienced castles in the Middle Ages and the intent and impact of architecture, site, and design in the social and landscape context. The text is accessible, and the illustrations include color and monochrome photographs and period and modern illustrations. Distributed in the US by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)