Reference I Love IV (Castles)

I'm sure there are thousands of books that have been published on the subject of castles.  Lots of these have big glossy photos of their remains or perhaps artistic renderings of how they would have looked at the time of their construction.  As a writer, anything that can fire your imagination is a wonderful thing.  However, one book I thoroughly enjoy, and keep returning to, is Castles: Their Construction and History, by Sidney Toy.  Originally published in 1939, this book has a number of features that make it useful in my work.
    There are 199 illustrations (as well as a number of b&w photographs), by the author, supporting the text.  These illustrations detail map and plan views of fortifications from 1600BC to 1600AD.  Personally, this allows me to better visualize how these structures fit together.  When I'm stuck in my writing, I create maps and sketches of the scene as a tool to follow what my actors are doing.  The level of detail that the author includes really helps in my visualization of life inside these spaces.
    "The object of this work is to trace the development of the art of fortification throughout Europe and the Levant..." (pg xiv, Preface).  A list of illustrations and a useful index allow easy access as a reference work.  This is not a broad work of history.  It remains focused solely on these defensive structures and the wars fought around them.  However, the author does go into significant detail about how these defensive structures evolved as a result in advances of science (as related to warfare).  The author does not claim to be exhaustive in his work, but all of the sites depicted in the work are detailed from first-hand observation.   
    I find the writing style to be a bit dry, but this is primarily the result of a large amount of detail packed into the text.  The texts describes, not only the fortifications, but the geography surrounding.  He also goes into detail about the materials and techniques used in construction.  Taken as a whole, it can feel relentless in its attention to detail.  On the other hand, when you think about describing one given location (or feature) in a story, Mr. Toy creates a clear and evocative image.
    In general, I find that reading this work allows me to explain my own world better.  Through the use of language and diagram, the author invites the reader to explore the history of these massive structures.  He deconstructs the goals and intentions of the different styles of fortification, filling in the details that are easy to forget when you view such immense constructs.  This is clearly a work of passion and a joy to read (if only a chapter at a time).
http://www.amazon.com/Castles-Their-Construction-History-Architecture/dp/0486248984/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385234096&sr=1-1&keywords=Sidney+Toy