This list will be added to as books are found that might help those building castles
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CASTLES
by Charles Oman
published in London 1926 by
The Great Western Railway
A well researched book and written in a style that makes reading it a pleasure. Most if not all the 105 illustrations and drawings are unique in many ways.
The Introduction is worth a book unto itself.
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These three books written by David Macaulay are very good. I highly recommend them.
Many people think they are children's books but in my opinion they are not due to the factual content and detail.
Castle ISBN 0-395-25784-0
Cathedral ISBN 0-395-17513-5
City ISBN 0-395-19492-x
[*] pinched with permission
From a factual point of view, detailed architectural descriptions do not come better than ' The Domestic & Castellated Architecture of Scotland', by McGibbon & Ross, 1887. This five volume epic is the Scottish castle hunters bible, and provides plans, drawings, descriptions, and a fair bit of local history.
For listings of Scottish Castles, long gone and still standing, the gazetteer 'The Castles of Scotland'2nd edition by Martin Coventry, pub. Goblinshead 1997, can't be beaten, until a third edition comes out.
However for long I wanted a combination of the two above for my local area, and so have written my own, and must out of bias and local preference, be my favorite.
[This message has been edited by wurdsmiff (Gordon)(edited 11-09-99).]
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'Medieval Scotland'
by Peter Yeoman published by BT Batsford and Historic Scotland in 1995.
ISBN 0 7134 7465 3.
This book uses modern archaeological evidence to describe life in rural and urban Scotland in the middle ages, describing lifestyles of the lower classes, clerics and nobles, within the burghs,castles, monasteries and in the countryside.
For purchasing info go to the Batsford/ Historic Scotland website at http://www.batsford.com/Archaeology/HSCOT.html
Gordon
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The Castles of Glasgow and the Clyde
Gordon W Mason
Goblinshead Musselburgh Scotland
ISBN 899874186
The most comprehensive work available on the castles and fortified houses of the area around the Clyde.
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Kinkell
The Anchor Press LTD 1974
ISBN 901539325
A Scottish Tower house rebuilt from ruins.
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The David and Charles Book of Castles
Plantagenet Somerset Fry
Alden Press LTD Devon
ISBN 0715379763
A most hard book to describe because of the depth of the subjects it covers. Excellent.
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Castles, Their Construction and History
Sidney Toy
Dover Publications inc 1985
ISBN 048624898
One of the very best books of Fortification examples in print today. I can't stress how en depth this book really is on the subject of Castles.
[*] Also from Dover
Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture
Cyril Harris 24444-x
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Sticks and Stones
Lewis Mumford 20202-x
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The American Builders Companion
Asher Benjamin 22236
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The Architecture of Country Houses
Andrew J Downing 24078-9
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[*] pwp,
CQ Book Nook, by Gordon
A range of technical advice books are available from Historic Scotland which may be useful to builders and renovators alike.
search through the books section at http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk .
Latest subjects include the use of lime mortars, which follows the HS involvement in the restoration to full working order of the Lime Kilns at Charlestown. Other topics include granite cleaning, thatching, window restoration ......and much more.
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This is a series of small well illustrated books from the British Museums Press covering the following;
Armourers, Embroiderers, English Tilers, Glass painters, Goldsmiths, Painters,and Scribes and Illuminators.
The other book in the series is 'Masons and Sculptors' by Nicola Coldstream, ISBN 0 7141 2048 0.
At only £7.99 and 72 pages this book manages to cram in 36 colour and 45 B/W illustrations and a great deal of information on the working lives, professional organisation and working skills required of a master mason. Data from the mason's own records, ancient manuscripts and contemporary art, reveal how these men became wealthy, highly respected members of society, and how they operated their buisiness.