title: Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain
author:  Marc Morris 
description: Enchanting journey through feudal England in the wake of Norman castle building. An engaging work that will no doubt prompt enthusiastic visits to castles around Britain.<br /> - <strong><em>Kirkus Reviews</em></strong><br /><br />A fresh and accessible slice of medieval history. Morriss lively and accessible prose makes this a great entry point for readers new to English medieval history.<br /> - <strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong><br /><br />Historian Marc Morris's <em>Castles</em> offers an enthusiastic and marvelously entertaining socio-architectural history covering 600 years of British castles.<br /> - <strong><em>Shelf Awareness</em></strong><br /><br />Seeking to answer the question of how to precisely define castles, Morris has created a riveting tale of politics and violence, technology and innovation. Morris slim yet detailed book moves us beyond an I-know-it-when-I-see-it impression and toward a real understanding of these buildings, creating a more vivid, rich and accurate view of England, Wales and Scotland in the medieval period.<br /> - <strong><em>Bookreporter</em></strong><br /><br />Captivating and entertaining. More than just a study of architecture, weaponry, and personalities, <em>Castle</em> pieces together a comprehensive overview that gives a fresh take on medieval and early modern Britain and the forces that shaped it. Whether ruined or intact, castles still have the power to fire the imagination, and Marc Morris leaves you in no doubt why.<br /> - <strong><em>BBC History Magazine</em></strong>
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  # A Damsel in Distress
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
  
  
  This page copyright © 2002 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  CHAPTER 1.
  
  
  CHAPTER 2.
  
  
  CHAPTER 3.
  
  
  CHAPTER 4.
  
  
  CHAPTER 5.
  
  
  CHAPTER 6.
  
  
  CHAPTER 7.
  
  
  CHAPTER 8.
  
  
  CHAPTER 9.
  
  
  CHAPTER 10.
  
  
  CHAPTER 11.
  
  
  CHAPTER 12.
  
  
  CHAPTER 13.
  
  
  CHAPTER 14.
  
  
  CHAPTER 15.
  
  
  CHAPTER 16.
  
  
  CHAPTER 17.
  
  
  CHAPTER 18.
  
  
  CHAPTER 19.
  
  
  CHAPTER 20.
  
  
  CHAPTER 21.
  
  
  CHAPTER 22.
  
  
  CHAPTER 23.
  
  
  CHAPTER 24.
  
  
  CHAPTER 25.
  
  
  CHAPTER 26.
  
  
  CHAPTER 27.
  
  
  
  
  
  
      
  
  
  Etext scanned by Jim Tinsley jtinsley@pobox.com
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### CHAPTER 1.
  
  
  
  
  
    
  Inasmuch as the scene of this story is that historic pile, Belpher
  
  
  Castle, in the county of Hampshire, it would be an agreeable task to
  
  
  open it with a leisurely description of the place, followed by some
  
  
  notes on the history of the Earls of Marshmoreton, who have owned it
  
  
  since the fifteenth century. Unfortunately, in these days of rush and
  
  
  hurr