A fascinating overview of the visible and physical remains of the aristocracy that dominated the Middle Ages in Britain. The variety and development of castles throughout the centuries and across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland is charted.   Castles were built to perform a series of functions, of which defence in war was only one. A key requirement was that they should be suitable living and working headquarters for a lord. They also had an important economic role, as well as being at the centre of community life and an important part of aristocratic display. Attention is often focused on the central core of the building but this book extends the scope to give a fuller picture of castles and all the people who lived in them.   With many maps, plans, reconstructions and photographs, this is the complete companion to castles - whether you wish to study the subject before or after a visit, or whether you are simply an armchair enthusiast.