Title: Castle
Author: David Macaulay
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books, 1977
Text and illustrations by David Macaulay; 80 pages, black and white illustrations
Originally published for children, this Caldecott Award-winning book of illustrations has earned a place in the collections of many architectural enthusiasts and connoisseurs. David Macaulay’s whimsical, yet meticulous, line drawings of a 13th century castle include plans, detailed renderings of the planning and building processes, and skewed perspective details that emphasize particular architectural features of castles and walled cities typical of the period in England and Wales. A composite of types and techniques, Castle is not based on an extant structure or site but rather acts as a conglomeration of 13th century Northern European architectural and planning practices.
From the microscopic elements of medieval European brick and mortar construction to the mechanics of the drawbridge or the surveying, planning, and building of the town walls, no details are overlooked by these elegant pen and ink drawings. The accompanying text is woven organically through the illustrations and is written in an accessible style that is intended to pique the interests and curiosities of readers, old and young. Just as Macaulay’s classic Cathedral, or How Things Work have become enduring parts of common educational experience, Castle remains charming, fascinating, and surprisingly compelling regardless of age, profession, knowledge-base, or status.
