Behind the Castle Gate

Matthew Johnson takes a look at castles in England at the end of the Middle Ages, to discover how they were used, what influenced the way they were built and why were they modified and who did it. Traditional studies of castles have seen them as compromises between the needs of comfort and of defence. They were either statements of wealth or of power or both. Johnson rejects familiar narratives of "military decline" on the one hand or "social display" on the other. Rather he encourages the reader to dig deeper into the history, architecture and physical setting of castles. By so doing we discover that when a castle is viewed in relation to the identities of the people who used them and lived in them a whole new vantage point is uncovered. Castles acted in part as stage-settings - as backdrops against which people played out roles of lord and servant, husband and wife, father and son, soldier and gardener, in both everyday and ceremonial contexts. The daily raising and lowering of the gate, the passage from one courtyard to another, the views of the surrounding landscape - all this was manipulated by the architecture of the castle and the choice and modification of its landscape set

'If members [of the Castle Studies Group] were to read only one book on castles this year then it should be Behind the Castle Gate.' - Castle Studies Group Bibliography'It is so important a contribution to castle studies, that ... colleagues ought to be aware of it ... this is a deeply scholarly book which requires the most intense attention given to it.' - Fortress Study Group Casemate'A work that is full of ideas, stimulating and written in a style that makes is a pleasure to read. In the field of 'historic archaeology' Johnson has already made his mark - his latest offering will not disappoint.' - Landscape History'Highly personal and engaging ... Behind the Castle Gate has much to offer the student of vernacular architecture as well as the devotees of castle studies ... hugely enjoyable.' - Vernacular Architecture, 'It is so important a contribution to castle studies, that ... colleagues ought to be aware of it ... this is a deeply scholarly book which requires the most intense attention given to it.' - Fortress Study Group Casemate'A work that is full of ideas, stimulating and written in a style that makes is a pleasure to read. In the field of 'historic archaeology' Johnson has already made his mark - his latest offering will not disappoint.' - Landscape History'Highly personal and engaging ... Behind the Castle Gate has much to offer the student of vernacular architecture as well as the devotees of castle studies ... hugely enjoyable.' - Vernacular Architecture

Johnson, Matthew