Thomas malory was the first to provide an english prose retelling of the legend in his le morte darthur, published in 1485. The historicity of king arthur has been debated both by academics and popular writers. King arthur in legend and history also includes a chronology of key arthurian texts, an appendix of the arthurian courts, a list of sources, suggestions for further reading and bibliography. The disney movie the sword in the stone is based on the first book in this series. Its a classic, and i love it, even though some parts are better than others. Other early welsh arthurian texts include a poem found in the black book of carmarthen, pa gur yv y porthaur. Topquality flours, baking recipes, kitchen tools and gadgets, and specialty baking ingredients. All about him old oaks stood like giant guardians watching sturdily over the soil where they had grown for centuries. What are the best books on the legend of merlin and king arthur. Maybe more to the stories that my grandfather told me than just stories.
This book is the culmination of over thirty years of work and research by the author, who is a king arthur specialist and bestseller. And those who were his fellows of the round table taking him as their lookingglass of chivalry made, altogether, such a company of noble knights that it is hardly to be supposed that. People know that there was a king in britain between the years 400 and 600. The story of the incomparable arthur, the lovely guinevere, the wicked morgana le fey, and the magical merlin has enthralled and delighted readers for centuries. King arthur is a medieval, mythological figure who was the head of the kingdom camelot and the knights of the round table. Stories of king arthur this book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. Today, academic historians generally agree that arthur was a mythological or folkloric figure. The history press king arthur in history and legend. These fascinating lectures speak to the essence of what is arguably the western worlds most beloved and deeply cherished myth. Arthur first appears in historical context as a leader fighting against the invading saxons in 5th to 6thcentury subroman britain at. In fall of knight, the villain arthur encounters is a person from actual history, who.
He fought the saxons, from countries in the north of europe, and perhaps this king was arthur. The mysteries of that far away mistshrouded land held me captivated and and motivated my studies for almost 40 years. Seconding ugahmurets praise for this listyoull get to see how the mythology evolves over time, and get a broad literary and geographic sense of how the mythology evolved over time and how its different in different places id suggest mary stewarts arthur books, starting with the crystal cave, if youre looking for modern adaptions. When i was a very little girl, my grandfather use to tell me tales about king arthur. King arthur and his knights classic books for children. The shining company 1990, a retelling of the y gododdin, which contains the earliest mention of arthurs name. As you know, king arthur is our january book of the month, and im loving every minute of working on it. As a result, she is now curious about merlin and king arthur but unfortunately i. Though simpler, this version includes all the wonderful storiessuch as king arthurs winning of guenievere and merlins tragic downfall at the hands of the evil vivien. King arthur and his knights 2 liked to lie under the trees and gaze up at the blue of the sky.
While there have been many suggestions that the character of arthur may be based on one or more real historical figures, academic historians today consider king arthur to be a mythological or folkloric figure. Tales from the round table is dover evergreen classics 2002 adaptation of folklorist andrew langs 1902 the book of romance. The arthurian legend of the knights of the round table, camelot, the quest. The legends of king arthur and his knights note merely a wordforword reprint of my early effort to popularise the arthur legends. I would love one thats closest to the original, but any is fine as long as it isnt a childrens book. My daughter, who is 5 and about to start kindergarten, has been enjoying the magic treehouse series of books, both hearing them read aloud and the audio books thanks to wendys. One of my all time favorite books, it brings a unique twist on the classic tale of king arthur. King arthur was a legendary british leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of britain against saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
The story of king arthur and his knights open library. The true story new edition by phillips, graham, keatman, martin isbn. This is a pre1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. List of works based on arthurian legends wikipedia. Top 10 books about king arthur best book recommendations. Some, studying anthroponymy the study of names, will disagree with my interpretations. King arthur, legendary british king who appears in a cycle of medieval romances as the sovereign of a knightly fellowship of the round table. The core myths of the celtic peoples centre on the great cycle of stories based on the life and exploits of king arthur. What are the best books on the legend of merlin and king. In welsh legend, he is known, not just as king arthur, but also as owain dantwyn and brochwel ysgithrog. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far.
The story of king arthur and his knights, first edition. The legends of king arthur and his knights by knowles and. The story of glastonbury by geoffrey ashe and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. There are hundreds and hundreds of books about or featuring king arthur, all part of an industry that began nearly 900 years ago and. From the sword in the stone and the founding of camelot to the famed round table and the lake of enchantment, the legend of king arthur will never lose its. The arthurian legend of the knights of the round table, camelot, the quest for the holy grail, the love affair of lancelot and guinevere. Christopher gidlow also examined the question of arthurs existence in his 2004 book the reign of. The first two books contain a reimaging of the arthurian legend.
The book brings new information to light by examining through a jigsaw of connections throughout dark age britain, especially wales and cornwall, as king arthur is revealed to have been a hereditary king of the ancient land of the silures in south wales. The character of merlin is not magician but a manipulator of kings and history. Though we have made best efforts the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. The origins of the arthurian legend geoffrey ashe after prolonged debate, the search for the historical arthur remains inconclusive, because of the nature of the evidence which historians take into account. If you like king arthur than i highly recommend this book. May 12, 2017 king arthur is among the most famous literary characters of all time. Books on this list are categorized by singles and series within assorted genres. It is little else than an abridgment of sir thomas malorys version. The merry adventures of robin hood by pyle, howard and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. King arthur by laurence binyon, with music by edward elgar 1923 king arthur by d. Bridson, with music by benjamin britten 1937 camelot by alan jay lerner and frederick loewe 1960.
The revenge of the shadow king reveals an alternate history of arthur who was betrayed and murdered by his halfsister morgan le fay, who is portrayed as an evil immortal being known as the black witch, for possession of a sacred book which had been passed down fathertoson for thousands of years. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This imaginative retelling of the classic arthurian legends recounts the. Arthur could look between the trunks and see rabbits and squirrels whisking about. There does not have to be any great mystery surrounding the king s real identity. Its the story told from the perspective of his mother, aunt and sister morgaine.
Regarded as the father of the arthurian legend, geoffrey did more than simply compile older stories or, as he said, translate them from an ancient book. These are not novels or romantic legends but books that look into the question of his existence, the cultural and spiritual impact his presence has had on the surrounding landscape and the matter of britain. I would prefer that it has his entire story, it can be a series, and it has mostly modern english i dont want words only. From the sword in the stone and the founding of camelot to the famed round table and the lake of enchantment, the legend of king arthur will never lose its magic. I didnt pick one specific book version of the arthurian legends, partially because there are so manyand also partially because i dont know which is.
Literary inquiry can lead towards historical insight and identify an arthur. A few of the stories are great, and others are only okay. I really like the mists of avalon by marrion zimmer bradley. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged.
History and legend offers you a comprehensive and detailed overview of the arthurian phenomenon in all of its extraordinary diversity and enduring impact. Though simpler, this version includes all the wonderful storiessuch as king arthur s winning of guenievere and merlins tragic downfall at the hands of the evil vivien. Apr 03, 2011 whats the best king arthur book to read. I recently read the lost years of merlin and realized how interested i was in the topic. He lived, perhaps, in wales or in the west of england in somerset or cornwall. The story of king arthur and the knights of the round table is very, very old.
Top 10 books about king arthur the once and future king. King arthur in legend and history also includes a chronology of key arthurian texts, an appendix of the arthurian courts, a list of sources, suggestions for further. A connecticut yankee in king arthurs court, by mark twain depending on your standards, mark twains book marks the first king arthurbased science fiction tale. Inventively retold and vividly illustrated, these stories describe the perilous and thrilling adventures of king arthur and his knights in that glorious age of chivalry and honor. The details of arthurs story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and modern historians generally agree that he is unhistorical. What role was arthur intended to perform in the political and cultural worlds that constructed him. The arthurian trilogy 19791981, reissued in an omnibus. What im getting at is, whats the best book to read about king arthur. The historicity of king arthur has been a source of considerable debate among historians as recently as the 1970s. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Possibilities arise, however, from evidence of another kind. I knew that merlin was famous because of king arthur, and i dont know any books about king arthur. King arthur consists of separate stories chronicling king arthur, queen guinevere, lancelot, and other knights of the round table. The legends of king arthur and his knights by james knowles 1862 the boys king arthur by sidney lanier 1880 tristram of lyonesse by algernon charles swinburne 1882 idylls of the king by alfred, lord tennyson 18591885 a connecticut yankee in king arthurs court by mark twain 1889 20th century.
It is not certain how these legends originated or whether the figure of arthur was based on a historical person. What is the best book you can find on king arthur and merlin. Best arthurian fiction, the arthurian legend retold, ya books with. When i became an adult and started my own reading, i discovered that my grandfathers father was from cornwall, england where the legend of king arthur was said to have happened. For the first time, king arthur the true story discovers the historical king arthur, his camelot and his final resting place. King arthur is known as the once and future king, a phrase referencing the belief that hell return in the faroff future, whenever britain is in peril, to pick up his trusty excalibur and defend the homeland all over again. Im looking to read a really good book on king arthur. What did the myth of arthur mean to both authors and their audiences. My favorite modern interpretations of king arthur alison.
The matter of britain stories, focusing on king arthur, are one of the most popular literary. Buy a cheap copy of the story of king arthur and his. A history of the british isles from 350 to 650 by john robert morris, the oxford guide to. He owes his place in our history books to a no smoke without fire school of thought. Aug 11, 2009 my daughter, who is 5 and about to start kindergarten, has been enjoying the magic treehouse series of books, both hearing them read aloud and the audio books thanks to wendys. On a less traditional slant, peter david wrote a series about the future part of once and future king, where arthur and merlin come back in modern times. Mythmaking and history illuminates and discusses some central points of debate.
In the popular 12thcentury book history of the kings of britain, geoffrey of monmouth wrote the first life story of arthur, describing his magic. Relates how arthur became king, won a queen, and came to establish the round table. As a result, she is now curious about merlin and king arthur but unfortunately i dont know much about them myself. The search for arthur seized my dreams when the boys king arthur sir thomas malorys history of king arthur and his knights of the round table edited for boys by sidney lanier fell into my hands. It is based on the king arthur legend as adapted from the t. This imaginative retelling of the classic arthurian legends recounts the story of arthur s formation of the knights of.
When it came to king arthur, though, the books just kept on coming, and the flame of obsession, consequently, burned bright. May 16, 2017 in seeking out the historical arthur, it does not make sense to look too far from the original sources which first mention him. Maybe the new film king arthur has whetted your appetite or maybe youve always been interested in the truth behind the myth but havent known where to start. The historical king arthur ancient history encyclopedia. The story of king arthur abebooks shop for books, art. A more elaborate tale of king arthur came about in the 11th century, when geoffrey of monmouth published his book the history of the kings of britain.
The authors uncover vital evidence for arthurs historical existence. Arthurs court and the order of the round table 32 king arthur and the princess guinevere 43 the coming of gareth 51 the story of sir gareth and lynette 61 sir ivaine 73 sir balin 88 sir geraint and enid 97 arthur and sir accalon 106 how arthur fought with a giant 115 how arthur fought with rome 121. That said, twain is more concerned with satire than science. Sir thomas malorys history of king arthur and his knights of the round table scribner classics by sidney lanier and n. King arthur was a legendary british leader who, according to medieval histories and romances. The mists of avalon by marion zimmer bradley, the once and future king by t. And those who were his fellows of the round table taking him as their lookingglass of chivalry made, altogether, such a company of noble knights that it is hardly to be supposed that their like will ever be seen again in this world. First published in 1485, le morte darthur by sir thomas malory is a compilation and interpretation of the legends of arthur, guinevere, sir lancelot and the knights of the round table. An irresistible blend of myth and fact, the book was supposedly based on a lost celtic manuscript that only geoffrey was able to examine.
Any series more than 5 volumes is multi, more than 10 volumes is mega and more than 20 volumes is mammoth. Jun 28, 2004 the legends of king arthur and his knights note merely a wordforword reprint of my early effort to popularise the arthur legends. They possibly originated in wales or northern britain. The thrilling and timeless legend, masterfully illustrated. Le morte darthur is mallorys 15th century work, and is generally the best known nonderivative arthurian text. I like the responses of the other people who answered the question. In this enchanting version of the story of king arthur, the renowned american illustrator and storyteller howard pyle displays his unique talent for capturing and stimulating the imaginations of the young.