The latest edition in the 'Fortress' series is this one on Crusader Castles of what is basically the Northeastern Mediterranean. Much has been written about those castles in the Eastern Med, specifically Syria and surrounds, but little has been done on the areas just west of there.

In these places, castle building wasn't as intense as in the Holy Land and so those conquered areas tended to build upon what was already in place. The result was either minimal fortifications or none at all. These areas in Greece, Cyprus, the Black Sea and the Aegean were developed as much by Venetians and Genoese as they were by Cruaders. While attack from Islamic forces was always a problem, it was more likely that pirates would be the main area of concern. This meant that coastal areas would see most of the build-up in castles and then, only by those who were wealthy enough to be able to pay for their construction.

This superbly illustrated volume looks and the wide variety of styles and lay-outs of these castles. Many of them are still extant to some degree or another and are very popular tourist destinations. Others are far from the beaten track and so are un-restored.

The author provides a historical background to the events of the time and then takes us on tours of some of the castles. Some have been restored and others are not, yet each one of them is unique in several respects, having been built or modified as to the needs of the owner or the landscape. There is also a section on visiting many of these places as local tourist industries have been built around them.

Overall, a fascinating look at these ancient constructs and how they fared over the years. As with other Osprey titles, this is one that I know you will enjoy reading.

March 2007

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