Search - Castle (Hosted by David Macaulay) on DVD

Great Insight into the Life and Times of the Middle Ages

Pam Dunninton | Kansas City, Missouri United States | 01/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CASTLE is a great way to learn about medieval life. It not only informs the viewer of castle life, but the lives of townspeople as well. I enjoy the Mr. Macaulay's method of documentary and animation. I viewed this video for the first time as a graduate student. I use CASTLE as a classroom tool whenever my students study the Middle Ages. The video always keeps their attention, and serves as a virtual fieldtrip. I would recommend this video to anyone looking for an accurate depiction of the history, architectural development, construction, and lifestyle of castle residents."

A fantastic voyage to the time of kings and castles.

Pam Dunninton | 11/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Castle" is a video treat for both children and adults. Animation mixed with scenes of existing castles bring to life a time long past. David Macaulay creates a fictional castle and town based on historical events to explain the life and times surrounding the greatest weapon of years ago. Through the eyes of the King and Queen as well as townspeople like the Blacksmith we can relive the past as if we were there ourselves. "Castle" takes you on a history lesson you will never forget."

Great Look at History for Kids and Adults

Kendra C. Jones | Hillsboro, OR United States | 01/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"David Macaulay's video series has to be one of the best introductions to some of the major architectural achievements in the ancient world. Combining animation with live-action shots of historic sites is a stroke of brilliance as both work hand-in-hand to enhance the viewer's comprehension of the architectural, social, and historical importance of the subjects Macaulay describes. David Macaulay, himself, is a wonderful host on this guide through the ancient world. There are four videos in this series: Pyramid, Roman City, Cathedral, and Castle, and I highly recommend them all."

The Golden Age Of The Castle

Goodbye Cruel World | Under Your Skin | 05/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Castle takes me back, and I have to say this program is as good today (after at least twenty viewings) as it was when I was little and used to watch the copy my dad taped off our local PBS station back in the `80's. This is the animated version of Macaulay's excellent book of the same name, and as with on-screen adaptations of Cathedral, Pyramid, and the difficult to find Roman City, the film rotates between Macaulay's real life visits to a number of existing sites, in this case Edward I's castles in Wales, and the animated story of the construction of the featured structure from the book. Not only is it fun to see this masterful writer and illustrator actually walking through and explaining how these mega-structures were erected using hand tools and pack animals, but the plotline of the building of the impregnable fortress of Aberwyvern, and its testing in a violent siege during a Welsh "revolt" (I like to think of it as an act of liberation, since the English were in these Celts' country, after all) should still engross those with even the most flighty of attention spans. Personally I love Medieval castles and the gritty if much-maligned era that produced them, and this video brings back a flood of personal memories of this book and video, but even those with no past connection to Macaulay's classic works should find a lot here on this DVD that's plainly and simply great."