Over 440 A4 sized pages in which 495 medieval fortified building are described. Most existing sites have a ground plan. This text is as truely a comprehensive county gazetteer as one could ever expect to get. It modestly calls itself an update of John Curwen's Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands. Not the source for a detailed history of a well know castle, though it will give you the right references of where to go, but for a county wide research project it would be indispensable. For my purpose in identifying all the medieval fortified sites this is perfect. Comprehensive, well sourced and referenced it gives the reader full confidence in the accuracy of its content.
One complaint would be the inclusion of homestead moats, Abbey gatehouse, unfortified hall houses and some other such features in a gazetteer of fortified buildings. This has the effect of rather inflating the numbers of fortifications.
Bibliographical references sometimes lack important details like volumn or page numbers.
The inclusion of a few 'plans' derived from the utter hokum that is divining is to be much regretted.