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. 41 illustrations.

Recounts Arthur's chief adventures including his becoming King, his marriage to Guinevere, and his benevolent but troubled reign over England.

The book is an investigation of the evidence for King Arthur based on the earliest written sources rather than later myths and legends. The evidence is laid out in a chronological order starting from Roman Britain and shows how the legend evolved and at what point concepts such as Camelot, excalibur and Merlin were added. It covers the historical records from the end of Roman Britain using contemporary sources such as they are, from 400-800, including Gallic Chronicles, Gildas and Bede. It details the first written reference to Arthur in the Historia Brittonum c800 and the later Annales Cambriae in the tenth century showing the evolution of the legend in in later Welsh and French stories. The work differs from other books on the subject in not starting from or aiming at a specific person. It compares the possibility of Arthur being purely fictional with an historical figure alongside a list of possible suspects. The evidence is presented and the reader is invited to make up their own mind before a discussion of the Author's own assessment.

Foreword by Neil Gaiman The world’s leading Arthurian authority reimagines one of the most beloved and influential legends—the story of King Arthur and his Knights—for a new century in this gorgeous keepsake edition, illustrated with luminous full-color paintings and drawings by internationally acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe. The stories of King Arthur and Merlin, Lancelot and Guinevere, Galahad, Gawain, Tristan and the rest of the Knights of the Roundtable, and the search for the Holy Grail have been beloved for centuries and are the inspiration of many modern fantasy novels, films, and shows. These legends began when an obscure Celtic hero named Arthur stepped on to the stage of history sometime in the sixth century, generating a host of oral tales that would be inscribed some 900 years later by Thomas Malory in his classic Morte D’Arthur (The Death of Arthur). The Great Book of King Arthur brings these legends into the modern age, using accessible prose for contemporary readers for the first time. In addition to the stories in Morte D’Arthur, John Matthews includes many tales of Arthur and his knights either unknown to Malory or written in other languages, such as the story of Avenable, the girl brought up as a boy who becomes a famous knight; Morien, whose adventures are as fantastic and exciting as any found in Malory’s work; and a retelling of the life of Round Table favorite Gawain, from his strange birth to his upbringing among the poor to his ascension to the highest position—Emperor of Rome. In addition, there are some of the earliest tales of Arthur, deriving from the tradition of Celtic storytelling. The epic hero is represented in such powerful stories as “The Adventures of Eagle-boy” and “The Coming of Merlin,” which is based on the early medieval text Vita Merlini and tells a completely new version of the great enchanter’s story. The Great Book of King Arthur includes 15 full-color paintings and 25 pencil drawings.

Arthurian expert Sir James Knowles brings together fourteen tales of King Arthur and his knights, inspired by Alfred, Lord Tennyson's first four 'Idylls of the King'. Here is a fascinating journey through the land of ancient England where magic, mystery and warring factions come together in cataclysmic fashion. Beginning with the finding of the wizard Merlin, Sir James recounts the discovery of the legendary sword Excalibur, King Arthur's victory over the Saxons and his marriage to the beautiful Guinevere, as well as his battles against armies from Europe and his evasion of Queen Morgan's attempts to kill him with a magic garment. Tales include: • The Prophecies of Merlin and the Birth of Arthur • The Miracle of the Sword and Stone • The Lady of the Lake • The Founding of the Round Table • The Adventures of Sir Gawain Revealing the escapades of the Knights of the Round Table, such as Lancelot, Bedivere, Bors, Modred, Tristram and Galahad, as they seek to protect Arthur's kingdom, we discover how these fabled figures found their destiny. ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Classic Myths and Legends brings together beautiful retellings of mythologies from different traditions, from Celtic to Native American.

The author offers convincing proof that King Arthur existed by tracing the legend of King Arthur to its roots in the 12th century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

When two boys save an old man from robbers, they learn of a competition in Londinium to decide the next king of Britain. The elder, Kay, is determined to prove himself worthy as a knight or a king. The younger is Arthur, a farm boy through and through - until he sees the sword in the stone.