How to Read Castles is a reference book that approaches castle architecture with a predominantly visual approach. It is also a practical guide that will allow the visitor to recognize and interpret the motifs and messages that enclose the stones of some of the most outstanding fortifications ever built in Europe and Asia. With a clear and accessible approach, this book brings together a wide repertoire of splendid illustrations and texts that aspire to: Create a vocabulary about types, styles and materials, to later apply it to a global study of the elements that constitute castles, of the French escaragüitas and the Japanese tenshukaku to the Spanish keep and the great English room; Provide the reader with an authoritative guide to the architectural features of the world's most spectacular fortifications, such as Crusader castles, royal residences, and stately fortresses; offer an illustrated source for any reader interested in architecture and military history.