Castle by David MacAulay

David MacAulay is a name that has come up a lot in my world lately but somehow I missed him in my youth.  This strikes me as humorous because I have always been a total geek about history, architecture, construction, castles, life as it was, etc. etc.  So then I went to my boyfriend’s parents’ house and there it is sitting on the bedroom shelf and I had even forgotten my book.  I love the illustrations.  I could easily have seen me as a child sitting there with David MacAulay in one hand and Mitsumasa Anno.  I can even see me using it now as a reference in my writing.  He gives it all in an easy to understand way whether you are a curious adult or a curious child.  You watch as the castle is built from the ground up and then you watch as it is defended and then as it crumbles.