Arthurian Legend Books

From the publisher Penguin comes a translation of the Romance of Tristan by Beroul that seems to be aimed at the general population. The translator, Alan. S. Federick, sought to "strike a balance between a version which is readable in Modern English prose and one which is still recognizably Beroul's poem." While not a definitive edition or completely accurate to the original text, it is a version that the general audience will find delightful to read. The introduction provides a setting for the book, and fills in details that many who are not familiar with medieval literature would find helpful. The analysis within the introduction also provides an added dimension so that the reader would be able to fully appreciate the text with minor guidance. The summary of earlier episodes of the story also lessens the confusion often associated with reading a medieval text.

The style of the translation is conducive to smooth reading and avoid copious footnotes that often lead to reader frustration. The division of chapters with informative titles also makes the text enjoyable to read and structures the story in episodes. The story is translated to paragraph form, a refreshing contrast with line by line translation in other versions which seems boring and droll. An translation of a separate tale, the madness of Tristan is also included to make the tale complete. It seems no effort is spared to make the text readable. The difficulty of this text is less than that of a Harry Potter novel.

I would recommend this book to all readers looking for a simple and enjoyable tale of medieval romance. Thanks must be given to god and Penguin publishing for opening up this legendary medieval tale to a wider audience.

It is usually the case that within a page or two of reading an introduction, the reader knows whether or not they are in the hands of a reliable editor and translator. Alan Fedrick inspires such confidence. His is a scholarly, readable prose translation, adequately but not overwhelmingly annotated. Beroul's account of the Tristan and Yseult legend (in others, the lovers' names appear variously as Tristram, Isolde, Iseut, etc.) is the oldest extant version, although it now exists only in fragmentary form. Its fascination lies partly in that it belongs to an older form of storytelling, with quite different conventions from modern forms. So be prepared for characters dying more than once, events occurring out of sequence, and plenty of unapologetic author intervention. Some of the plot elements are wonderful, and have been borrowed and reworked ever since, by Shakespeare and others. Some have become interwoven with the Arthurian cycle. Read this if you are interested in seeing how the art of fiction has evolved in Europe through the ages, or if you enjoy fables that have a folksy (and sometimes vulgar) flavor.

From the publisher Penguin comes a translation of the Romance of Tristan by Beroul that seems to be aimed at the general population. The translator, Alan. S. Federick, sought to "strike a balance between a version which is readable in Modern English prose and one which is still recognizably Beroul's poem." While not a definitive edition or completely accurate to the original text, it is a version that the general audience will find delightful to read. The introduction provides a setting for the book, and fills in details that many who are not familiar with medieval literature would find helpful. The analysis within the introduction also provides an added dimension so that the reader would be able to fully appreciate the text with minor guidance. The summary of earlier episodes of the story also lessens the confusion often associated with reading a medieval text.

The style of the translation is conducive to smooth reading and avoid copious footnotes that often lead to reader frustration. The division of chapters with informative titles also makes the text enjoyable to read. The story is translated to paragraph form, a refreshing contrast with line by line translation in other versions which seems boring and droll. An translation of a separate tale, the madness of Tristan is also included to make the tale complete. It seems no effort is spared to make the text readable. The difficulty of this text is less than that of a Harry Potter novel.

I would recommend this book to all readers looking for a simple and enjoyable tale of medieval romance. Thanks must be given to god and Penguin publishing for opening up this legendary medieval tale to a wider audience.

Romance of Tristan is a great read. Takes you back to the 11th and 12th Centuries and describes a somewhat tragic love affair between Tristan and the King's wife, Yseut(Isolde). The King is Tristan's uncle, and Tristan is a great knight in King Mark's court, so this adds to the story's impact. Tristan and Yseut are fatalistic lovers, drawn to each other by a 'love potion', and constantly plotting their meetings even under serious auspices of the King and his courtiers. The plots and tales and protocols of that time in history are vividly described and Beroul uses many characters to paint the tale. It appears that Beroul is largely sympathetic to the fugitive lovers and his bias is clearly against the ones who try to harm or plot against them.
I would recommend reading the introduction of this book for some good insight from the translator and for his insights into the original 12th century text. This translation makes for a fast and captivating read.

Though the story of Tristan and Iseult predates even this particular telling of the story, it is the earliest extant version we have, and it suffers not at all from its age. Full of love, battle, humor (and there are some great points of humor in the book), and a visit from Aruthur's knights, this is a classic tale of romance and betrayal. Any fan of Arthurian myth should read this timeless tale that has inspired so many to write books, music, and poetry. Even before there was the story of Romeo and Juliet, there was this story of star crossed lovers.

If all the medieval scholars in the world were asked to name the definitive version of the Tristan story, it's a sure bet a majority would point to the work of Gottfried Von Strassburg. Though Gottfried certainly did not create the Tristan saga itself, working as he was from an earlier poem by Thomas of Britain (and Thomas wasn't the first storyteller to take up Tristan's tale either), Gottfried's personal touches and a surgeon's eye for the pscyhological underpinnings of the cursed love affair between the knight Tristan and his Queen Isolde allowed him to make the existing story his own. Grand in conception and rich in detail, Gottfried's TRISTAN has for eight centuries delighted general readers and scholars alike and has been wildly influential, inspiring countless other writers and artists to produce their own take on an immortal legend. Ironically, Gottfried's opus isn't even complete--it breaks off shortly after Tristan meets Isolde of the White Hands. Providentially, Thomas's TRISTRAN picks up where Gottfried, for whatever reason, leaves off, so that an essentially complete story is in fact available, albeit by two writers of rather different styles. Also, it should be noted that neither Gottfried nor Thomas put Tristan at King Arthur's Round Table, as many other authors frequently do.

Penguin Classics are of uniformly high quality, and this book is no exception. The translation is by renowned medieval scholar A.T. Hatto, with an excellent introduction, helpful notes, and a number of supplemental pieces including glossaries of geographical and character names from the text for enhanced readability.

Is Gottfried's TRISTAN truly the best? Of course that is always going to be debatable. To be fair, Joseph Bedier's version is more concise and in some ways more readable, while Thomas Malory's BOOK OF SIR TRISTRAM puts Tristan in his more familiar setting as a pre-eminent knight of the Round Table. Regardless, Gottfried's romance is a justly immortal masterpiece of rare quality. Given the story's literary triumphs of style and substance alike, combined with a legacy of ongoing influence upon other writers worldwide, anything less than a five-star rating is impossible.

Tristan is the perfect hero: intelligent, courageous, and incredibly handsome. But only one women, Isolde, is equally strong enough for him. The way that their lives amazingly fold to one another keeps the pace of the novel. I can't honestly say it is the greatest love story, but you will find a variety of excitement, including love. Plus, add in kings, queens, dragons, pirates, thieves, potions, jeously, passion, loyalty, revenge, and deception, you have an action-packed book. I couldn't stop reading the adventures.

First off this is not a romance in the modern sense of the word. This is a story that was written long ago and is considered one of the best romance stories of all time.

Tristan is a knight in King Arthur's court. But before this happens he finds love with the beautiful Isolde. This of course is not an easy path to happiness, and in fact this story does not have a happy ending. Both Tristan and Isolde are tied together because they take a love potion...Isolde is promised to Tristan's uncle King Mark and she goes to England (From Ireland) in order to keep the promise to marry him. She does but pines for her long lost love Tristan.

This was a very descriptive story and the prose is very romantic. The pagentry and vivid description of court life and conflicts will entertain you until the final pages. At the end of Gotfried there is another alternate ending for this story.

Around the middle of the 12th century, an author we know only as Thomas wrote a French version of the popular legend of the star-crossed lovers Tristan and Ysolt (usually known in English as Tristram and Yseult). Thomas may have been French or English. Most of his poem has been lost. A generation or two later (the dates for both authors are uncertain) a Strassburger named Gottfried wrote a German version of the story, using Thomas as his source. Gottfried died before completing the work. By extraordinary coincidence, the bulk of what remains of Thomas's work is the very part that Gottfried did not live to write. Thomas carries on exactly where Gottfried leaves off. The obvious thing therefore, is to translate Gottfried and Thomas in one volume, to give a complete narrative. That's what Hatto does, in his usual accurate, precise and elegant English, in this excellent Penguin Classics edition.

Hatto's editorial contributions, consisting of an Introduction and 7 Appendices, give as much information as most readers will require. One can sense the effort of will Hatto needed, to stop himself writing volumes more.

So how good a story is it? Well, it's a classic romance, from a time when sexual relations were being redefined, and which has provided inspiration for countless other romances since, most notably Romeo and Juliet. It does not read like a modern novel, for the very good reason that it isn't one. It is a medieval German poem translated into modern English prose, so much of the underlying social logic, and many of the aesthetics, will inevitably be lost to us. But it does contain some very memorable moments and it stands as an important milestone on the progress of western literature, and as an invaluable insight into European medieval culture.

One final point: Hatto tells us there are 4 great narrative poems in medieval German; Wolfram's Parzival, the Niebelungenlied, Gottfried's Tristan, and Wolfram's Willehalm. Well, now that I've read the first 3, all translated by Hatto and published by Penguin Classics, where's Willehalm? If Hatto never got around to translating it, cannot Penguin find someone worthy to follow in his foosteps?

While not many preople read Strassburgs "tristan" it has been around for 800 years for some reason. It must be because it is a good. The story itself has been told and retold in opera and whats present in this version is an embelishement of the english "Tristram" romance - much of which is lost. This version is translated by the great A T Hatto who was among the greatest scholars of Middle Ages Romances. Though originally translated in 1961 or a story first appearing in 1215 this book is suprisingly readable and far more engrossing than Parsival or some of the other Aurthurian romances.

But if you are reading this book I assume you are not reading this simply for enjoyment while waiting for Dan Brown's next Work. You are probably reading this in some sort of acedemic setting whether it be in univesity or your own pursuit. Here is where the book should be really useful. The introductrion which includes much of the orginal text and explains how the story developed into what makes up the body of the text. There are footnotes on nearly every other page and while I prefer more I wont say that they are necessary.

This is a great work for study of Middle Ages German literature. This work was written in the 13th Century which is the start of a great awakening of the spirit and the time that can be called the high middle ages. Beyond this this is also a great romance and a readable story. No matter on what level you choose to read this work it should be satisfying and be a work what you will want to reread.

- Ted Murena

I love all of Gerald Morris's books, but they are all a little advanced for one of my daughters aged 6. So, I was delighted to find this new title written for that age group. I was initially concerned that the language might be a little complex, but I read this aloud to my six year old and she just couldn't stop laughing. She loved the long words and enjoyed saying them after me ("What does recreant mean again, Mamma???"). Highly recommended for girls and boys alike - and parents will enjoy reading it too.

This is a good book, but very different from Gerald Morris' other works. It is written for a much younger audience, in a different style. It is also much shorter, thus the lower price. It is a great starter book for younger children to introduce them to this genre.

It's been way too long since I read me some Arthurian legend. And while I should probably go back and remind myself of everything I've forgotten from T.H. White's The Once and Future King, or perhaps Roger Lance Green's King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (with it's spiffy new Puffin Classics edition), it was more fun to get Gerald Morris's take on the French knight aimed at the young reader crowd.

Fun is key here. Morris has neatly selected a series of tales from Lancelot's part in the legends and presented them as a series of adventures that begin with his inadvertently spectacular arrival at Arthur's court to his days where he has grown weary of the burden of being Sir Lancelot. Along the way he meets challengers to his title as unbeaten, ladies who hold him hostage until he chooses one for a wife, and in the end, defender of the innocence of the queen.

Ah, yes, Guinevere. There's no mention of Lancelot's secret affair here, and nothing else unsavory that might scare off young boys (and girls, to be fair) who might be getting their first introduction to the Arthurian legends. Guine isn't even mentioned by name, she's simply the queen. All in all there is a very sanitized, safe feeling about these adventures, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable.

The humorous illustrations, both inside and on the cover, are an appropriate indication of what the reader can expect. In some ways, the book's lineage feels closer to Monty Python than any of the traditional prose or poetry of legend. It's hard not to see the rampaging John Cleese at times as Lancelot goes through his paces, until you come across one of Renier's illustrations and are confronted with an entirely different, but equally humorous, character.

This is the first is what is promised as a series, the next up this fall being The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short. If I were a boy I'd be looking forward to these.

Wait a tick! I am a boy!

I wonder just how long Gerald Morris can continue to fly under the radar? By all rights the man should be as well-known and rich as Brian Jacques and the like. His "Squire's Tales" set in the world of King Arthur are funny, smart, and harbor just the right mix of authenticity and plumb good writing. They are, however, generally written for older kids. The tween to teen market, if you will. As a children's librarian, however, I notice that it's often younger kids that are asking for King Arthur stories. Kids that are reading on their own but still need books that are around 92 rather than 350 pages to sustain their interest. Kids, basically, who just want some early chapter books about Camelot and the Round Table. Up until now I was up a tree when this sort of request wafted my way. My children's room has picture books and long chapter books and not much in between for this particular brand of reader. Now that problem has been solved and it is entirely due to an author who could not have been a better choice for this subject matter. As the first in his "Knights' Tales" series, "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great" takes its cues from classic legends and then renders them not only readable but hilarious.

Considered the greatest of King Arthur's knights, not many kids know that Lancelot was a prince in France before he was a legend. Having heard tales of King Arthur and his knights of Camelot, Lancelot wanted nothing more than to go and be accepted as a knight. After accidentally defeating all of Arthur's knights in a tournament, Lancelot is hailed as a great warrior... which of course gives every young upstart in the territory just the excuse they need to go and attack him. Morris examines some Lancelot stories where he must defend himself in odd situations alongside tales where is tricked, does the tricking, and always continues to hold onto his ideals. By the end of these stories (there are roughly five different ones of varying length) there is little doubt left in the reader's mind as to who was the greatest knight of all.

What I like about this book is that the author has been careful to insert fun and quirky ideas that rarely interfere with the book's overall story. For example, when Lancelot accidentally wins a tournament, it's paired with the fact that he's a bit vain and likes his armor to be extra shiny. So, as he shines his armor with one hand, he defeats a series of knights that keep attacking him with the other. A goofy twist, but one that is consistent with the Lancelot personality we've encountered in other formats and texts. In an odd twist of fate my husband ended up reading Le Morte D'Arthur at the same time that I was reading Morris' book. As a result, we started to compare notes. I'd say to him,

"There's a story in here of a lady who tricks Lancelot into taking up his armor and climbing a tree!"

He would answer, "It's in this book too!"
Then, "My book has a story where Lancelot stops a guy from killing his wife. Then the guy saying, `Hey, Lancelot, look over there!' And when he does then the guy chops off his wife's head. Is that in yours?"

I consulted my own book. "Nope."

Paired with Morris is a Mr. Aaron Renier, who has drawn accompanying pen-and-ink illustrations to go with this book. Some of you may recognize his style from his Top Shelf graphic novel Spiral-Bound. Like Morris, Renier is also from Wisconsin and this Arthurian series complements his particular style perfectly. For the goofiness of some of these tales you need an illustrator with comic book sensibilities. Renier has that in spades, but he never goes too goofy. Even on a picture where Lancelot has an arrow sticking out of his tuchis, the remainder of the scene is beautifully rendered. All tall grasses and bare trees. You get the distinct sense that Renier cares about his subject matter. All the kids will care about, though, is that he makes the book more fun to read.

And it really is fun. Clearly Morris had to do a little editing before he could make this book child-friendly. Some nips and tucks, if you will. Consider, for example, the ending. It contains the sentence, "...and that was how Sir Lancelot returned to Camelot, where he remained the rest of his life, faithfully defending the defenseless, even when it interfered with his afternoon naps." Ah. Well, I can't claim to know my Arthurian lore well enough to say that there isn't a version of Lancelot's story out there somewhere where he did stay on at Camelot "the rest of his life." I do know, though, that there are bound to be several kids out there who already know the whole Lancelot/Guinevere angle, get to the end of this book, and then complain vociferously when they find it completely and utterly missing.

Gaps exist in every library collection there is, often because publishers never got around to putting out titles to fill them. Now one such a gap can be corrected, and hopefully everyone who has ever had an eight-year-old Arthur fan on their hands will note and stock Morris' latest while it remains in print. I'll certainly be looking forward to other books in this series as they come out. Exciting high-adventure for the Captain Underpants set.

It's 500 AD and Britain is divided: the south and east regions of the island are under Saxon's rule, while the northern tribes have rallied under Arthur, the Dragon Chief, in an effort to keep their customs and their lands. Among those who have sworn fealty to Arthur are Ilena, the 15 year old chieftain of Dun Alyn and Durant her betrothed who is also Arthur's cousin.

As the novel starts Durant is leaving Ilena to serve with Arthur, and promises her he will return at the end of winter to marry her. But when spring arrives, it's Faolan the chieftain of Dun Struan who comes to ask for her hand and not Durant. Ilena refuses Faolan's request and her refusal brings war between their people, and to Ilena, disgrace when she freezes in battle and falls behind the fighting line.

Exiled by Druid law until she proves herself worthy, Ilena travels the war savaged lands of northern Britain in search of her beloved Durant, and her liege King Arthur, the only one who can defeat the Saxons that, allied with Faolan, are pressing north once more.

I love this world Patricia Malone has created, a primitive Britain the Romans have just left, where tribes struggle to survive out of the land while fighting enemy neighbors, Saxon invaders and Irish raiders by the strength of their warriors' swords. This is the world the legendary King Arthur would have lived in, if he ever was.

Although the ending felt a little rushed and the plot forced at times, that didn't stopped me from reading late into the night, unable to put the book down.

I hope Malone is working in a sequel, as I, for one, am looking forward to learn more about Ilena and her warrior ways.

Lady Ilena Way To The Warrior follows the adventures of Ilena, the beatuiful cheif of Dun Alyn in Britain (now England) during the Middle Ages. After disgracing herself in battle, she loses her claim as cheif of Dun Alyn, and is sent into exile. The only way she can win back her claim is to leave Dun Alyn-alone-and not return til she has accomplished tasks great enough to prove herself worthy to be cheif again.
The book was OK. This sequel is not as engaging as the first book The Legend Of Lady Ilena. But all together I'll give Lady Ilena Way To The Warrior 4 stars out of a possible 5.

Lady Ilena: Way of the Warrior

Do you stress while trying to find great books to read? Well, I know a book that will keep the pages turning and your mind set! So dive into Lady Ilena: Way of the Warrior! This historical fiction book is about a young woman in the ancient times of England. Patricia Melone, the author of this wonderful book is a great, adventurous describer. This young girl, Ilena, faces great tasks connecting to her birth emplacement. She has to find many ways to prove she is the correct ruler for the colony of Dun Alyn. She has to prove this because she was sent into exile for a dangerous reason. Now I will stop telling you the story so you can't find out the end and ruin this exciting novel. YOU HAVE TO READ IT! As a story it is truly awesome so I would give it a perfect score and I recommend it to everyone aged 10 and up!

Set in 6th century Britain, WAY OF THE WARRIOR follows the continued adventures of Ilena, the warrior chieftess of Dun Alyn. When her fiancee, Durant of Hadel, goes off to war with his liege lord, she is left with an undesired suiter. She refuses to marry him and war follows. During battle, Ilena makes a grave error and is exiled from her home because of it. To prove her worthiness and win back her title, Ilena joins forces with new friends and works to defeat the Saxons and other enemies of Arthur.
Malone is definitely an entertaining author. Evidence of strenuous research is apparent throughout the novel. However, Malone's use of the present first person is awkward at times; it slows the pace of the story. The plot is no masterpiece. Everything is a bit predictable. But overall, a good novel destined to make Arthurian fans happy.

"One summer day a little seamstress sat by her window, eating bread and jam. When the jam attracted a swarm of flies, she tried to wave them away. But the flies, who didn't speak English, kept coming back. Finally the little seamstress lost her patience. She grabbed a cloth and swung it at the windowsill..." Looking down, the little seamstress was astonished to find that she had killed seven. She considered this feat so remarkable, that she embroidered her success on the back of her favorite coat. "Seven with one blow!" Well, the world needed to hear about this, and so the little seamstress put on her coat and set out on what turns out to be the adventure of a lifetime. Unfortunately, her message is misunderstood by everyone who sees it, and before her journey's finished, and she's living happily-ever-after as a good and wise queen, the little seamstress needs to outwit giants, capture a unicorn and a wild boar, and finally outsmart a not so nice king..... Mary Pope Osborne and Giselle Potter are back, and those who loved their first "female revisionist" fairy tale, Kate And The Beanstalk, will be delighted with this latest offering. Based on the old Brothers Grimm story, The Brave Little Tailor, this dynamic duo again give their spirited retelling a decidedly feminist twist. Ms Osborne's engaging text is filled with wit, and kids will be rooting for their resourceful and sassy heroine as she meets and conquers each challenge. Ms Potter's marvelously clever illustrations are rich in humor and eye-catching detail and capture the story beautifully. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Brave Little Seamstress is an entertaining, fun-filled read you definitely don't want to miss.

The introduction to this book states that two women originally told this story to the Grimm brothers; and that the version retold by Andrew Lang was in fact most likely translated by a woman, since his wife, cousins, and other "literary young women" did most of his work for him. Because of this, the author says, she felt this story should have a female protagonist. I wonder about that; if all these women were responsible for carrying this story along through generations, they surely would have changed it to a female protagonist had they thought it necessary. It seems to me more respectful to the women involved to keep the story as they had wished it.

Regardless of your feelings on this misguided point of feminism, I have to say that this story didn't need to be retold. The illustrations are garish and tacky, the text simplistic and the dialogue forced and boorish. It seems as though Osborne was working really hard to make the story fun. Why she felt it needed "improving" I can't say. Get the original.

A little seamstress kills seven flies with one blow ý and sets off to tell the world of her accomplishment, which she stitches on the back of her coat. When a giant sees her coat and believes '7 with one blow' means seven giants felled, trouble erupts in this whimsical take-off on the traditional story. Giselle Potter's drawings are fun.

This tragic medieval saga is a tale of love, adultery, jealousy, treachery, revenge and death.
The adulterous love between chivalry's most valiant knight, Lancelot del Lac, and King Arthur's wife, Queen Guinevere, provokes a series of suicidal wars between chivalry's finest, noblest, most courteous, most honorable knights and their factions: `no man ever became deeply involved in love who did not die as a result.'
It is an anti-war tale: `battle, how many orphans and widows you have made in this country and others!' `Where will the poor people ever find pity now?'
And what is the use of all this pride? `But such is earthly pride that no one is seated so high that he can avoid having to fall from power in the world.'
At the end, `we can see all our friends dead before us.' `It was to lead to the destruction of the kingdom of Logres ... lands remained devastated and waste.'

Of course, the anonymous author is sometimes too sentimental, too Christian. His battle descriptions are now and then stereotypic. Nevertheless, his story written in a direct, simple, unadulterated and positive style is one of the highlights of medieval literature.
Not to be missed.

I could not put this book down once I began to read. The story begins after the Grail Quest, when the King recounts all those who were lost. The loyalty King Arthur feels towards his knights, living or dead, is moving in comparison to today's vacuum of leadership. The complicated love affair between Lancelot and Queen Guinevere is unsettling because as one reads, the unraveling of Camelot is slowly exacerbated by their innocent yet treacherous passion for each other--including the King. King Arthur's self denial of the love affair is touching and stretches faith to its limits. But one can't help take both sides because the story is so well rounded from all points of view. Compared to other translations such as Keith Baines, of Signet Classics, this James Cable translation by Penguin is superior because it keeps the arcane language used in the period, thus capturing the flavor of the times, whereas Baines seems to water it down.

While "The Death of King Arthur" is the shortest romance in the entire Lancelot-Grail cycle (formerly known as the "Vulgate Cycle" and a principal source of Sir Thomas Malory) it is also one of the best suited to modern tastes. Unlike the earlier segments of the cycle (the Lancelot or the Quest of the Holy Grail particularly) it does not underline its themes through endless variant repetitions that irritate the modern reader. Instead, the plot is remarkably linear and focuses on the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the disastrous consequences that their affair wreaks on King Arthur and his entire kingdom.

Because it was originally written as a sequel to the Lancelot and Grail portions of the cycle, certain knowledge is assumed for the reader. The reader is assumed to know that Arthur is the King, that Lancelot is his boldest knight, and that the Round Table is recovering slowly from a long and very destructive Grail Quest. Without the lengthy process of interlacing adventures between Lancelot and Gawain or Bors and Gareth, it can be difficult for the true weight of the story to come across to the uninitiated.

Cable's translation is workmanlike and readable, and serves as a worthy introduction to this classic tale until such time as the recent English translation of the entire cycle (Lancelot-Grail: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate in Translation, edited by Norris J. Lacy) is available in an affordable paperback series. (I bought the hardback at an exorbitant price per volume myself.)

This is an A-Z encyclopedia of the people, places, events, and artifacts pertaining to the various derivations of the Arthurian legends. It is lavishly illustrated with artwork and is an exhaustive reference source. The author states upfront that, for purposes of study, he considers any literature written before the time of Thomas Malory's LE MORTE D'ARTHUR to be fair game and part of "authentic" Arthurian lore. Anything after Malory is either a modernization or a retelling of the original legends. Therefore, references to works such as Tennyson's IDYLLS OF THE KING and White's ONCE AND FUTURE KING are omitted.

This book is wonderful reference material. It alludes to many obscure source materials and attempts to explain the origin of many elements of the stories of Arthur and the Round Table. However, I would not recommend it for novice fans. Coghlan takes it for granted that most of the stories are familiar, and he spends most of his time explaining how the stories originated, how they were altered over time, and why inconsistencies exist. The format of the book makes it useful for looking up a particular name but not for browsing through a chronology of the tales.

This book is for the scholars and historians, not necessarily the readers and dreamers.

Ah, The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends: I was practically raised on this book! I have learned everything I know about Arthurian Legend with it. I have always loved it not only because I was able to study the literary aspects of Arthurian Legend, but also the historic background of the legends themselves. I understand it may seem a bit over people's heads at times (mainly because of its lack of detail on certain topics). Although, I am not sure it had much to do with the author. (Sometimes it is brief because there is not a lot of information available to us in some cases). I would agree that it is apparent in this book that his knowledge is extensive, and perhaps he does take some of it for granted. Personally, the only thing I can really complain about are his brief descriptions of some the alternate legends, as there was little mentioned as to WHY there were differing versions. I would have liked to have seen more on each subject in general in the book. However, so far I have not come across such a balanced book on Arthurian Legend: (not too hard a read, but yet not too basic). I would recommend this book to one who is getting started in the legends, as it is arranged in an easy elementary storybook fashion. I would also recommend, however, reading "La Morte D'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Mallory concurrently. "The Encyclopaedia" would be a great addition to any library of Arthurian Legends, and I think it's shame it is out of print.

If you or someone you know is a student of Arthurian Legend, this makes a beautiful gift. It is a rich "Who's Who" of the various strains of the tales copiously illustrated by the appropriate family trees, facsimiles of medieval illumination, photographs of the historical sites and Pre-Raphaelite reproductions. Lovers of the legend will treasure this book!

I liked the book because I like learning about theMiddleAges. People that like the Middle Ages should read this book.

I think this book was Exalent!This book eas about King Arthurs jurnes and battles.It is also about some of King Arthurs Knights jurnes. I whould recomend this book for people that like battle,middle age books and King Arthur books.

I think this was a exalent book about King Arthur. I would recomend this book for a person that likes King Arthur and also people that like battle and books on the mideivel times.

A refreshing take on Arthurian legend, literature, history, mythology and their intersection. Markale offers theories on how different societies constructed their history and mythology (for any historiographers in the crowd) as well as a synthesis of different versions of Arthurian legend. The French courtly romances of the 12th and 13th century are not excluded, but Markale places more emphasis on the earlier sources (both extant and interpolated) for the Celtic tales. A compelling portrait of Arthur and the Celts emerges.

No other book covers the legend of King Arthur better than this!! From the political aspects to the mythical, this book is great for any who find King Arthur of interest. It undermines the myth and trys to dig at the truth, and on the way you will find that many of the stories about Arthur were for political gain during the time they were written. This books goes VERY DEEP, and if you get discouraged by heavy books do not get this! But if you are inpired to search the endless wonders of King Arthur, then get this book and enjoy!

I have three books by Markale (The Celts, Women of the Celts, and this one), and this is the only one that impressed me in the least. Despite its stupid title, this book is full of valuable information, historical, political, and mythical. Arthurian lore and speculations about the historical Arthur are not one of my favorite things of this sort, but for someone looking for a professional study of it, this is your book.

You could be forgiven for thinking that it was about time for Margaret Hodges to rest on her laurels. Consider her widespread accomplishments. In 1983 she takes Edward Spencer's "Fairy Queen" and turns it into a Caldecott winning picture book that is readable by children ("Saint George and the Dragon"). As I write this the woman is nearing her 95th birthday and is still going strong. Heck, she's so important that her papers and correspondence are kept in the Elizabeth Nesbitt Room of the University of Pittsburgh (which, I might add, Hodges founded in the first place when she was a Professor Emerita there). Yet here she is with yet another accomplished retelling of a story all children should know. As a children's librarian, I often field interesting requests from patrons. Yesterday a woman came up to me and said, "My children are really into the 'Magic Treehouse' series, especially the books that talk about Merlin. Do you have a good book that tells the King Arthur and Merlin story that they might like?". I was torn. Not because the kids were going from vapid series to a tale with origins dating back to the 1400s. Not because I had any doubt in my mind that "Merlin and the Making of the King" would be a perfect choice for the woman. No, I hesitated because I knew perfectly well that my library branch has a single solitary copy of this book... and that it was sitting on my desk at home waiting for me to review it for this website. So I recommended it whole-heartedly and am now trying to write a review of it ASAP so that I can connect these kids from modern day piffle to a tale originally known as "Le Morte d'Arthur".

Covering the entire life of King Arthur, we begin our tale in the presence of the great wizard Merlin. When Uther Pendragon defeated the Duke of Cornwall and became king of all England, Merlin appeared to the ruler in a dream and told him that due to his personal failings, the wizard was going to spirit away his soon-to-be-born son at the earliest possible convenience. Uther, apparently okay with this, sends his baby boy off without a fight and soon thereafter dies. The baby is little Arthur, and he is raised by the kindly Sir Ector alongside a boy who becomes a knight by the name of Sir Kay. One day a sword is stuck into a stone and anvil and sure as shooting, Arthur pulls it clean out and becomes king. He receives a sword from Vivien, the Lady of the Lake, and goes on to rule the round table. In a somewhat quick and dirty encapsulation, the book skips over most of the fables associated with King Arthur and just sticks with the stories connected to his life. We meet Morgan le Fay, Mordred, Guinevere, and Launcelot. Arthur fights Mordred thrice, is defeated at last, and departs with the promise that he will someday return. As for Merlin, he disappears with many rumors surrounding where he has gone. No one knows for certain.

The Arthur myth is so integrated into our public consciousness that as I read this book I was assaulted by various versions of the tale encountered during my life. When I read about Arthur and Kay I remembered T.H. White's remarkable, "The Sword and the Stone" (which, now that I think about it, would also have made a great recommendation to the "Magic Treehouse" kids). When I saw Arthur pull the sword from the stone I flashed back to the animated Disney movie made lo these many years ago. And when the Lady of the Lake emerged from her watery home, suddenly the song "Find Your Grail" from "Spamalot" was pulsing through my ears. What we adults need to remember as we read this book is that kids going through it aren't necessarily going to have the same frames of reference that we do. All these pop cultural images and ideas won't be in their heads. As such, "Merlin and the Making of the King" is an ideal place to start them on. Consider the work and care put into it. In her Author's Note, Hodges gives a brief history of the original manuscript "Le Morte d'Arthur" published in 1485 in London. Yet in 1934, another manuscript was found in a library at Winchester College that was much closer to the original story than the 1485 version. This book is a retelling of the Winchester manuscript and, as such, is perhaps the purest children's retelling of the Arthur myth ever to be published in the English language for people under the age of 10.

If I were a professional reviewer (i.e. if I was getting paid) I would sit down with the Winchester retelling of Sir Thomas Malory's, "Le Morte d'Arthur" and determine what Hodges has written down and what she has left out. Obviously, knowing a patchwork of different Arthur stories ("Camelot" probably foremost amongst them) I felt that this book left out important details. It makes it sound as if Guinevere never cheated on Arthur with Lancelot and that it was just rumor mongering on Mordred's part. But who am I to say? Maybe that's what Malory's story actually said. What I can say with certainty is that if you're looking for a go-to source of good King Arthur stories ("Gawain and the Green Knight", "Gawain and the Loathly Lady", etc.) this is not the resource you want. This book is all Merlin and Arthur, all the time.

And how is the retelling? Pretty good. A little confusing at times. Though it would have pumped up the page count I think the font definitely could have been larger and the Trina Schart Hyman illustrations more plentiful. Unless I am much mistaken, this book is perhaps one of the last works Ms. Hyman was able to finish before dying of cancer in 2004. Unlike her earlier work the book is less reliant on fine-tuned details and employs a rougher broader brush. Just the same, it's far more intricate and indicative of the illustrated manuscripts of the medieval age than most of the work done by lesser artists working today. Ms. Hyman was one of the great bright stars of her field.

Reading this book, kids with Merlin-mania will not find themselves fully satiated. What they will find is the one true retelling of the original Arthur myth. From there on in they can enjoy books like Susan Cooper's, "Over Sea, Under Stone" and Jane Yolen's, "Young Merlin" series with some excellent background knowledge of this legendary tale. Ms. Hodges has given us the definitive children's edition of Arthur in brief. A necessary addition to any complete children's library.

This book is a wonderful gift for any child between 6 and 10. And for many an adult.
Its illustrations have just the exact amount of beauty and dream like quality the foggy ages of the Arthurian saga demand.
Children are confronted with the beauty of ideals, the necessity of moral strength, the real possibility of the arising of enemies even in your own family -like the brother wanting the glory of having taken the sword from the stone for himself, almost steeling Arthur's destiny- the mysterious forces at work to help fulfill one's life aims, either noble or evil, thus the eternal war among good and evil in and outside ourselves. And finally, the reality of death. Even the bravest have to die. All these truths of life expressed in a clear simple language, with the strength of one of the main myths of the western mind, the story of King Arthur, what a gift! This is the wonderful encounter of what was already there -the old chunk of Arthurian litterature- with what was created by the authors, the simple, powerful telling and the jewel like images.

A brilliant and gorgeously illustrated retelling of the Arthurian legend for very young children; even kindergarteners or first graders could appreciate its stately but simple language paired with Hyman's magnificent pictures.