Dan Jones - Castles: A Fortified History of the World

Dan Jones brings his new show, Castles: A Fortified History of the World, to St George's Bristol on Monday 19 October. It's part of a UK-wide tour, and he'll be taking the stage in the Main Hall to talk through a history of the world told through its most famous strongholds.

If you've come across his name before, it's probably from his books. He's the author of The Templars and Powers and Thrones, and he runs the This is History podcast. He also writes for the national papers and has presented for the BBC and Channel 5, including Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty: The Plantagenets and Great British Castles. This is a live talk rather than a lecture, and he'll be drawing on strongholds from across the globe to build his case.

He'll be talking about what the world's greatest castles tell us about the rise and fall of empires, the resilience of people under siege, and the flourishing of new ideas. The examples he brings in range from the desert bastion of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria to Himeji in Japan and the Maginot Line in WWII. His argument is that castles have been built to defend humanity for millennia, have inspired terror and ambition, foiled conquering forces, and served as the ultimate expression of wealth, status and supremacy.

It starts at 7.30pm in the Main Hall at St George's Bristol, and tickets are from £29. There's a 9% booking fee if you get yours online or over the phone, and a £2.50 postage fee where applicable.