James of St George and the Castles of the Welsh Wars

James of St George has a reputation as one of the most significant castle builders of the Middle Ages. His origins and early career at the heart of Europe, and his subsequent masterminding of Edward I of England’s castle-building programmes in Wales and Scotland, bestow upon him an international status afforded to few other master builders retained by the English crown. The works erected under his leadership represent what many consider to be the apog e of castle development in the British Isles, and Malcolm Hislop’s absorbing new study of the architecture is the most important reassessment to be published in recent times. His book explores the evolution of the Edwardian castle and James of St George’s contribution to it. He gives a fascinating insight into the design, construction and organisation of such large-scale building projects, and the structural, military and domestic characters of the castles themselves. James’s work on castles in the medieval duchy of Savoy is revisited, as are the native and foreign influences on the design of those he built for Edward I. AUTHOR: Malcolm Hislop is an independent researcher and author, with a background in the archaeology of buildings and a special interest in the medieval period. His early research was based around the career of the Durham master mason John Lewyn, one of the most prolific castle builders of the fourteenth century. He maintains a keen interest in the process of medieval building design and construction. His previous books include Medieval Masons, John Lewyn of Durham, How to Build a Cathedral, How to Read Castles and Castle Builders.
150 colour and b/w illustrations