In Castle Builders, Malcolm Hislop looks at the hugely popular subject of castles from the unusual perspective of design and construction. In this general introduction to the subject, we discover something of the personalities behind their creation - the architects and craftsmen - and, furthermore, the techniques they employed, and how style and technology was disseminated. Castle Builders takes both a thematic and a chronological approach to the design and construction of castles, providing the reader with clear lines of development. Themes include earth, timber and stone construction techniques, the evolution of the great tower, the development of military engineering, the progression of domestic accommodation, and the degree to which aesthetics contributed to castle design.

**Pointing persistently to heaven: A guide to UK cathedrals** Rich, rolling countryside and historic towns, scenic coasts and picture-perfect landscapes. The west of England and Wales has many attractions, and not least of these are its cathedrals. Here you'll find some of Britain's finest and most awe-inspiring. From the country's longest cathedral, at Winchester, to its smallest, at St Asaph. From the tallest spire in the country at Salisbury, to the longest Gothic stone vaulted ceiling in the world at Exeter. You'll also find the cathedral founded in the nation's smallest city by the man who would become the patron saint of Wales. One of the most impressive and famous cathedral fronts in the country, decorated with one of the largest collections of medieval statues in Europe. And one of only six abbeys saved from destruction during Henry VIII's purge of the Reformation. **Book Four: The West and South West of England and Wales**

In this 2003 study, Edson Armi offers a fresh interpretation of Romanesque architecture. Armi focuses on buildings in northern Italy, Switzerland, southern France and Catalonia, the regions where Romanesque architecture first appeared around 1000 AD. He integrates the study of medieval structure with an understanding of construction, decoration and articulation in an effort to determine the origins and originality of medieval architecture and the formation of the High Romanesque style, especially in Burgundy, at sites such as Cluny III. Relying on a close analysis of the fabric of key buildings, Armi's in-depth study reveals a lot about design decisions in the early Middle Ages. It also demonstrates that the mature Romanesque of the twelfth century continues many of the applications created and perfected over the previous one hundred years.

Gothic art finds its roots in the powerful architecture of the cathedrals of northern France. It is a medieval art movement that evolved throughout Europe over more than 200 years.Leaving curved Roman forms behind, the architects started using flying buttresses and pointed arches to open up cathedrals to daylight. A period of great economic and social change, the Gothic era also saw the development of a new iconography celebrating the Holy Mary - in drastic contrast to the fearful themes of dark Roman times. Full of rich changes in all of the various art forms (architecture, sculpture, painting, etc.), Gothic art paved the way for the Italian Renaissance and International Gothic movement.