When we envision the British monarchy, one of the first things that comes to mind is Buckingham Palace, with its gilded gates and changing of the guard. But it is Windsor Castle that can claim pride of place as the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, dating to the earliest days of the monarchy, a symbol of strength and magnificence over a nearly thousand-year history of sieges and soirees alike. Witness to both great moments in the country's history and those that threatened to destroy it, the castle has become a symbol of English culture and architecture. Throughout England's history, Windsor Castle has stood fast and evolved, much like the monarchy that inhabits it to this day.
Windsor Castle: An Illustrated History is an affordable souvenir volume that tells England's history through Windsor Castle, beginning in AD 700, when the castle was only an area of rough ground on a handy escarpment above the River Thames. The book charts the construction and survival of the castle and the monarchy, setting Windsor Castle, its architecture, and its treasures against the background of the changing world.