Arthurian Legend Books

I remember finding this book because of the illustrations. Rien van Poortvliet, then popular because of his Gnomes books, had illustrated this volume of Arthurian tales. I cannot say enough about it. Here, stripped down to its essentials, is the entire heart, spirit, and soul of the tales, painfully and lovingly told. I remember going through a period of wanting to learn Dutch in order to read it in the original. From Arthur's birth, to the founding of the Round Table, to the search for the Grail, and the final crashing days of despair, this book follows the warp and weft with an unerring honesty and brilliance matched by few writers. If you are looking for a one-volume overview of the legends, look no further. Read this! Oh, and the illustrations are good, too.

In King Arthur and his Knights in Mythology, Evelyn Wolfson guides her readers ably and competently through the maze of recorded history and literature that has accumulated from the Dark Ages in Britain, until the present day, around Arthur. Ms Wolfson retells the myths from Mallory's Morte d'Arthur with such vivid clarity that the travails and passions of the Knights of the Round Table have the ring of truth. Maybe Arthur's provenance was uncertain and his place of birth disputable, but Ms Wolfson makes us believe in this much loved hero for all time. The book is complemented by superb illustrations and supplementary questions and answers to each section. It will surely make learning about King Arthur and his myths, memorable and enjoyable.

As a student of Arthurian history (fifth and sixth century Britain), I am constantly looking for books about the historical Arthur. Of all the hundreds of authors who write about the subject, John Matthews is my favorite. And in "King Arthur and the Grail Quest," I haven't been let down. The first few chapters are about the historical Arthur, my field of expertise, while later chapters go into the history of the Grail legends, as well as the other bizarre happenings which sorround them, including the Templars, Cathars, Prester John, and more. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the history of King Arthur or the Holy Grail.

I'm honestly very surprised to see that there are (at the time of this review) no other recommendations written for this wonderful book, as that usually means that people aren't compelled to write about it - or haven't had the chance to get hold of it. Hudson Talbott's King Arthur series (beginning with "The Sword in the Stone" and continuing on with "Excalibur") are excellent introductions for the younger reader to the legends of King Arthur and the dense mythology that surrounds him.

Though it may be a tad complicated for younger readers, with the subtleties of romance and the strategies of war explored in reasonable detail, it is still great Arthurian reading for the older ones, especially in Talbott's touching insecurity of Arthur as he struggles to lead men who: "have *grandsons* older than me!" Talbott's early Arthur is a delight - nervous, love-struck, inexperienced, and yet brave, determined, fiery in battle and devoted to his cause. Often authors downplay either Arthur's strengths or his weaknesses, but Talbott finds the perfect balance between the two, and as such presents the quintessential Arthur.

"King Arthur and the Round Table" chronicles several crucial events in the young king's life - his skirmishes with rebel kings that reject his claim to the throne, his fateful meeting with his future queen Guinevere, and the founding of Camelot and the Round Table. It is obviously the middle-installment of a trilogy as it neither begins anything nor resolves anything, yet it is gloriously illustrated and loyally told - though with a few original flourishes of Talbott's own.

At a stage when most authors are attempting to find increasingly "new" takes on the Arthurian stories, Talbott is refreshingly traditionalist in his portrayal of people and places; presenting it all through rose-coloured glasses as a fully romanticised Golden Age of the medieval era. Everyone here is as you'd expect them to be, from Merlin in his purple robes and conical hat to Arthur himself; a heroic vision in gold and red, with a white steed and shining sword - every little boy's dream of medieval magnificence. Likewise it's easy to see why Arthur was so immediately smitten with golden-haired, sweet-faced Guinevere. The Round Table is the perfect vision of unity and mystery, and as for Camelot itself...it's simply glorious, as captured by Talbott in the evening light.

Only battle is appropriately portrayed as bloody and tragic, with darkened (through exciting) scenes of combat and sieges, resulting in a gory scene of the post-battlefield. This however is perhaps Talbott's most beautiful picture, considering the vision of Guinevere aiding the wounded by the lakeshore, watched from afar by Arthur. It is a heartbreakingly poignant scene if one is aware of their future together, and though their meeting is an original creation by Talbott, it feels so *right* in both its innocence and foreshadowing.

I mentioned before that other authors are going to increasing lengths to create new ways of telling the Arthurian stories, and one that often pops up is the conflict between Christianity and Paganism. Talbott has an answer for this too; in another of his gorgeous two-page vistas we see the marriage of Arthur and Guinevere, awash in golden light and flanked by a Catholic priest with a crucifix and Merlin with an oak branch. It is stunning scene of hope and peace, where differing religions, genders and kingdoms are presumed to be in harmony, not conflict.

The more I discuss it the more I realise that this is a simply gorgeous book, and must-have for any young Arthurian fan.

Based on the legendary King Arthur, this English tale has been entertaining audiences since Sir Thomas Malory created the character in the 15th century. Whether or not King Arthur was inspired by a real man has never been determined, but one thing is certain: Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur looked nothing like the Limke-Yeates version.

According to Yeates, he used both historic and traditional sources when shaping the artwork for the book. Together, he and Limke created a 21st-century version of Arthur that fans of both Arthurian legend and graphic novels will be unable to resist. Limke's adaptation of Malory's story is strong. This particular telling of the legend begins with the young Arthur, when he was a squire and England was in turmoil, without a king. When he pulls the sword from the stone, he becomes the next king of England--quite a responsibility for a boy. But, with the guidance of Merlin the Magician and the loyalty of the Knights of the Round Table, he becomes a good and powerful leader.

The colorful graphics supplied by Yeates are stunning, and the glossary, index, and list of Web sites at the end will enhance this Arthurian experience for younger readers. Additionally, readers who enjoy this book should check out other books in the publisher's "Graphic Myths and Legends" series.

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

I do believe there is not an English monarch or a mover and shaker around them that Barber has not written a book about. I might be wrong, but not by much! His works are wonderfully researched and developed, making them a pleasure to read. While he has written biographies on many different people, he has a vast list of books on Arthur and Grail Lore.

I really like this one, because he looks past the valiant legend and searches out Arthur the man. Arthur - as far back as Longshanks - has been molded and used to their purposes - so it's hard to peel back all the layers and get back to original Arthur.

Barber takes on that chore of removing the many embellishments, in a work that is enjoyable for the average reader as well as the Grail Addicts. Loaded with medieval paintings and woodcuttings this book is a wealth of information.

A must for any Grail Lore Library.

Whether one's interest is primarily in exploring the genuine history which gave rise to the legend of King Arthur, or in the development of Arthurian literature, this handy volume will prove most useful and convenient. It is a well-considered selection of the most important Arthurian source materials.

For those who've never read a book about King Arthur and his Knights, then "King Arthur: Tales from the Round Table" is the book for you. Short and easy to read, it is basically a primer for anyone interested in the Arthurian legend. This book is well worth the price! I highly recommend it! Grade: A+

This is one of my son's favorite books. He liked the popups, and after a couple of readings he started watching to see where the mouse was on each page. He calls it his "mouse book."

If you like knights, monsters, castles and warriors like I do you should read Sir Lancelot by Hudson Talbot. He is a famous warrior that stops evil men and protect its kingdom.

In the beginning of the book Lancelot is born and he grows into a man and becomes a knight of the round table.

He gets into a fight with his mom and becomes angry and jumps out the window. He went into the woods and got lost! His mother found him unconscious. She cures him and his wife had a baby.

Look in your local library to find Sir Lancelot!