Konstantin S Nossov – författare

From the beginning of the 2nd millennium AD northern India began to fall under the sway of a number of Muslim-Turkic rulers who, at the start of the 13th century, founded the series of dynasties known to history as the Delhi Sultanate.For three centuries these sultans expanded their territory, which led to a dramatic rise in the number of fortifications throughout the subcontinent. This period is the defining age of the Indian castle and the combined influence of the Islamic and Hindu architectural tradition lends these fortifications a unique style.This book covers all the major sites of the period - including the fabled seven medieval cities on the site of the present-day city of Delhi.

A history of the key fortresses that dominated the landscape of medieval Russia from its legendary foundations in the 9th century to its conquest by the Mongols and the eventual rise to power of the principality of Muscovy.According to Russian legend, in the year AD 862 the Slav tribes of what is now European Russia invited a number of Scandinavian princes to rule over them. However, on the death of these princes, Prince Oleg seized Kiev and united the Northern and Southern Russian territories, building extensive fortifications to protect its borders.The rise of feudalism in the 11th century lead to the development of individual fortified sites and the extended border defenses fell into disrepair. Consequently, Mongol hordes poured over the border introducing the siege warfare techniques of the East, heavily influencing the fortification styles thereafter.Using a wealth of archeological evidence and first-hand sources, Konstantin Nossov charts the history of the medieval Russian fortress from its early beginnings until the 14th century, paying special attention to the development of one of the most iconic fortifications in the world: the Kremlin.