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I'm still relatively new to reading about the Middle Ages, but I have a few books under my belt now. This books is a very fascinating look at the defensive makeup and layout of castles during that time period. It starts with a bit on Roman fortifications and wooden grody, then moves on to what most of us consider to be castles, and then finishes off just as cannons are being introduced.

The main focus is on the specific defensive attributes and their variations across different parts of Europe, mostly. Aspects of siege warfare are discussed, but it's mostly about defense. There are numerous photographs of castles still in existence, and includes sketches showing the layout of those as well as others no longer extant. What is beyond the scope of this book, however, is anything regarding the daily management of a castle or interior design.

If I were to pick a complaint, it would be that the black-and-white photography is grainy and doesn't communicate the image clearly. I augmented my reading with internet searches, though, so that wasn't a huge problem. I also found the index and glossary at the back a bit lacking when I wanted to refresh my memory about certain things.

All in all, it is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it. It's not a scholarly work by any means, but it's a great place to start. I look forward to rereading this one for sure.

Not exactly targeting the general reader, this book assumes you have an understanding of politics, political maneuverings, trade, and shipping. While some concepts can be gleaned from the text, it helps if you do a little extra research. Even then, I'm not sure I fully understood everything in this book--but that may also have been because of the somewhat archaic language used.

Still, I enjoyed reading it and felt I learned a lot about the history of the colony. It's a fascinating place and one worthy of study. The author, however, is deeply biased, so I would caution readers to be aware of this and note when he is crossing the line into opinion. Also, I would recommend reading Charles Boxer's Fidalgos in the Far East first as an introduction to Macau, as Boxer's writing is easier to read and more objective. After reading that, dive into this one. There is some redundancy, but both books have a different enough focus that they actually compliment each other nicely.

A fidalgo (lit. "son of somebody [important]" in Portuguese) is a person of some social standing, and this book is a collection of their exploits in the Asia trade. Focusing primarily on Macau--but with a fair bit of mention regarding Japan and Timor, as well as some about Goa and Malacca--it details many events of these men, both political and personal, between the years 1550-1770. To be fair, it's not an in-depth study of Macau's history or culture, but it does discuss these a bit. It mainly deals with the people who had influential effects on the city and area. I wouldn't recommend it as a travel resource at all, but it is an interesting read for anyone fascinated by old Macao, City of the Name of God in China.