Two of my favorite things to construct were make-believe forts and castles. I loved building them so much that for Christmas my older brother bought me one of those Military Army Kits that were advertised on the back of comic books.
You could also buy a Wild West Fort set, a Medieval Castle Set and a Civil War Fort Set. I was a big WWII fan so I received the Army Military Fort/Base that included soldiers, cannons, jeeps, tanks and other artillery.
As much as I loved building forts and castles they weren't very sophisticated or realistic-even the ready-made kits looked cheesy.
Sometimes I'd walk by department store windows or small toy stores and spot these incredible, realistic fort or castles sets and wish I had the money to get one.
I never did, but my love for forts and castles has never died. I'm fascinated about their construction, history and hidden secrets-in spite of what era they were constructed.
Author Allen Hickling and Schiffer Publishing share my love of forts and castles as evidenced by their new oversize hardbound book: Toy Forts & Castles: European-Made Toys Of The 19th & 20th Centuries.
Inside are dozens of full-color photographs of toy forts and castles ranging from the very simple to the incredibly detailed.
Each fort or castle is documented by year and decade, provides full historical information about each including manufacturer, country of origin and construction and contents and original prices.
If you love forts and castles toys then this is the book for you. Relive the past and your childhood as you peruse each page, immerse yourself in the details and learn something along the way.