Books by Rodney Castleden

Selmeston in Sussex was a settlement long before the Saxons arrived, even though it has a Saxon name. Eight thousand years ago, stone age houses stood close to the site of the church. The unusual circular churchyard hints at a pre-Christian origin. The book reviews the site's history and gives a full record of all the inscriptions, together with plans, photos and indexes. 242 pages long, this book is an invaluable resource for both local and family history.

3,300 years ago, Agamemnon, king of Mycenae in Greece, attacked the city of Troy. The bloody siege that followed gave rise to one of the most famous legends of the ancient world. In this investigation, Rodney Castleden reconsiders all the evidence in order to establish the facts and give a historical basis to this potent myth of ancient warfare.

A story of a collaboration. A series of letters between the co-writers of 'Winfrith' (an historian and a composer) shows how a music drama came into being. All the stresses and strains of creativity are visible in this blow-by-blow account of a race against time, to write a full-scale stageworthy music drama in time to celebrate the Millennium at Brixworth Church in Northamptonshire. A story of ambition, disagreement, compromise, and ultimately achievement against heavy odds. Includes the full text of the music drama and samples of the music. 278 pages.

The story of Seaford in the French Wars, 1793 to 1815, based on contemporary sources, including historic maps, court books, diaries and newspaper reports of the time. Seaford was a town with two parallel histories. Its status as a member of the Cinque Ports Confederation gave it unusual privileges, such as the right to send two Members to Parliament, and there was no shortage of ambitious politicians who wanted to stand for election here. At the same time, the town stagnated, with a population of just one thousand and only a tenth of those entitled to vote. Most of the inhabitants were poor agricultural workers or fishermen. It is a lively and colourful tale of large-scale corruption in a rotten borough. The book gives character sketches of all the major personalities of the time. 207 pages, 70 black and white illustrations.

The story of a small Sussex Downland village is told for the first time. Using a wide range of sources, including historic maps, house histories, old letters and personal reminiscences, the complex history of East Blatchington emerges, with unexpected results. The book reveals how close the village came to extinction in the Black Death, and how the ambition of the last squire led to many of the village's present-day problems. And some extraordinary personalities reappear from the past. What emerges is an unexpectedly rich and colourful picture of an English village that has come close to being forgotten. 309pp, over 90 black and white illustrations.

The Sussex coast has attracted people for thousands of years - for foraging, fishing, trade and defence, and more recently for retirement and leisure. Settlements are destroyed as the sea advances or stranded as it retreats; living here is exciting - and risky. Now that nearly one million people live on the Sussex coast, the problem of managing the relationship between people and the sea has become acute. A landscape history approach is used in this book, drawing on history, geography, geology, archaeology and the latest findings on coastal processes, to describe the trialogue between people, land and sea. This is essential reading for all who love the Sussex coast, are curious about its past and concerned about its future. 317pp, with 135 black and white illustrations.

As we approach the centenary of Sir Arthur Evans' rediscovery of the Minoans, the author questions whether the work of subsequent archaeologists in Crete support the defined cultural traits that make the Minoan personality. This book examines recent research and offers a new vision of Minoan Crete.

Castleden suggests that there is no one 'meaning' or 'purpose' for Stonehenge, that from its very beginning it has filled a variety of needs.

Using archaeological and documentary evidence to recreate the history and society of Dark Age Britain and its kings, Rodney Castleden argues not only that Arthur did exist, as a Dark Age chieftain, but that many of the romantic tales - of Merlin, Camelot and Excalibur - are rooted in truth.

The Mycenaean world: the stuff of legends and heroes who conquered Troy and who still stands at the heart of Greek identity today. This clear, detailed study brings their civilisation, culture, and history to life for both students and enthusiasts.

Plato's legend of the famed lost continent of Atlantis has become notorious among scholars as the most absurd lie in literature. Atlantis Destroyed excitingly explores the possibility that Plato's account is the historical truth.

Rodney Castleden presents an illuminating and convincing interpretation of Stonhenge's cultural context and historical meaning.