Dan Jones explores castle history and American fortifications in new book

Historian Dan Jones has released "Castles: A Fortified History of the World," a book that chronicles the evolution of fortifications from the Sack of Troy to the Nuclear Age. Speaking to Fox News Digital from England, Jones described the work as a 3,000-year journey through human history that examines structures ranging from Iron Age hillforts to Cold War nuclear bunkers.

The publication covers global examples, including Japan's Himeji Castle, but Jones emphasizes the specific role America played in the broader narrative of castle building. He stated that the history of these structures cannot be fully understood without including the American perspective, which spans from early fortifications to Civil War-era defenses.

Jones identifies Fort Sumter in South Carolina as a key example of a "descendant of a castle" in America. The coastal fortress, built with thick brick walls and artillery defenses, was the site where Confederate forces opened fire on Union troops in April 1861, marking the beginning of the Civil War. He also highlights the 1862 Union attack on Fort Pulaski in Georgia as a pivotal shift in military history. Although Fort Pulaski was considered nearly impenetrable, Jones noted that it was "blown to bits" within 48 hours by rifled cannons, ending an era of traditional castle design.

Beyond military fortifications, the book addresses grand estates in America that mimic castle architecture to display wealth and status. Jones points to Hearst Castle in California and Gilded Age residences like the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina and Belcourt in Newport, Rhode Island. He argues that these homes follow the same tradition as medieval royal dwellings, serving dual purposes of defense and projecting power. Jones observed that while castles were combined with defensive needs in the Middle Ages, modern America still features colossal palatial houses built by the wealthy.

The enduring appeal of castles in popular culture is also examined, with Jones citing Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, built in 1955, as a modern example. He noted that such structures are as integral to the story of castles as classic medieval strongholds.

Jones acknowledges that the romantic image of castles often contrasts with their darker historical reality. Many fortresses served as prisons or sites of torture and execution. He specifically referenced the Tower of London, where Anne Boleyn was beheaded and Guy Fawkes was tortured following the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Jones recalled dining in the room where Fawkes was stretched on the rack, describing it as a grisly location.

Despite this violent history, Jones believes the fascination with castles stems from a fundamental human drive. He stated that the story of the castle is ultimately about building places to protect what people love, a connection that links fortification history back to the dawn of recorded history.