Palaces describes and illustrates one hundred of the world's finest palaces, It is not a textbook about the architecture of palaces, although construction methods and changing architectural styles play a big part in the story of palaces. Rather, the book puts palaces in their social and historic context, showing how local customs, traditions and religious beliefs, and the growing power of emperors and kings, rulers and princes dictated the layouts , building styles and the decoration of palaces.