{ "item_title" : "The Secret History of Castles", "item_author" : [" William Cartwright "], "item_description" : "Castles are often imagined as magnificent fortresses filled with knights, kings, and dramatic battles. Yet behind their imposing walls was a complex world of engineering, politics, household life, religion, trade, and survival.The Secret History of Castles: Defense, Daily Life, and Ruin explores what life inside and around medieval castles was really like, revealing the practical systems and human stories hidden behind their stone walls.From towering keeps and defensive walls to kitchens, wells, chapels, stables, workshops, and private chambers, this book examines how castles were designed to function during both peaceful times and periods of conflict. Readers will discover how medieval engineers approached fortifications, how defenders responded to sieges, and how castles evolved as military technology changed.The book also looks beyond warfare to explore the everyday lives of lords, ladies, soldiers, servants, craftsmen, prisoners, and local communities. It examines food, sanitation, heating, entertainment, religion, social hierarchy, and the demanding work required to keep a medieval fortress operating.Finally, the book follows the decline and transformation of castles as political structures and military technology changed, explaining how once-powerful fortresses became abandoned ruins, residences, monuments, and enduring symbols of the medieval world.Blending military history, architecture, archaeology, and social history, this book offers a fascinating journey beyond romantic legends and into the real world of medieval castles.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers3.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/79/819/187/9798191877594_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "19.95", "online_price" : "19.95", "our_price" : "19.95", "club_price" : "19.95", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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