The Truth About Castles

Presents information on castles such as who made them, when, how, why, and where they were built, what they were built for, and what it was like to live in a castle

As any fairy tale devotee knows, castles generally figure prominently, and this historical--and frequently hysterical--book will shed new light on an old subject. Using cutaway drawings and cartoon-like characters, Clements presents a wealth of detailed information in an entertaining fashion. Divided into brief "chapters" (all of which are considerably more visual than textual), her comprehensive coverage includes such topics as "Building Castles," "Preparing a Feast," "People in the Castle" and--alas for children of all ages--"Castles in Decline." Since humor can be a great help in teaching, this farcical book must be considered successful. The bon mots here fly thick and fast, and some may be excessively bon for young readers: when a dog unearths a human skull, a worker declaims, "Alas, poor Yorick." Black humor is represented as well: a finger bowl is in fact a bowl of severed fingers. Nevertheless, in spite of--or perhaps because of--some questionable ripostes, this book's frantic pace will no doubt appeal to youngsters with a taste for fact and fancy. Ages 7-12.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.