Historian Dan Jones has revealed his top five castles as his new book, Castles: A Fortified History of the World, is released. In an interview, he also spoke about a serious health scare in 2024, when his heart stopped during routine surgery.
Heart stopped during routine surgery
Jones, 45, said he woke from the procedure feeling terrible and was told his heart had stopped suddenly while under anaesthetic, requiring CPR. He then suffered a heart attack as he sat up in bed, with the heart monitor alarm sounding and his fingers going cold. He received an intravenous shot of adrenaline.
The father-of-three said he was burning out and totally exhausted at the time. He has since stopped drinking so much and eating meat so much, and now attests to feeling healthier.
Top five castles
Jones named Dover Castle, Edinburgh Castle, the Tower of London, Caernarfon Castle in North Wales, and Leeds Castle in Kent as his favourites. He praised Dover Castle for its Iron Age, Roman, medieval, Napoleonic and nuclear-era history, and Edinburgh Castle for its stunning position on a volcanic crag.
He described the Tower of London as one of the world's great buildings, speaking to the Norman Conquest, and noted Caernarfon Castle's walls are supposed to evoke those of Constantinople. He called Leeds Castle a fairytale place with a dream quality.
New book and James Bond novella
His new book, Castles, traces the history of humanity from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age via fortifications. He said castles came top in a YouGov survey on attitudes towards the Middle Ages in 2025, with a 77% approval rating.
Jones has also written a James Bond novella, All In, set in 1954 and published on December 3 in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. He said being asked to write a Bond story is one of the greatest honours in contemporary fiction.
