Morte D Arthur

First published in 1485 by William Caxton, Le Morte d'Arthur is today perhaps the best-known work of Arthurian literature in English. Many modern Arthurian writers have used Malory as their principal source, including T. H. White in his popular The Once and Future King and Tennyson in The Idylls of the King.

The most famous English-language compilation of Arthurian legends ever issued. Originally titled "The hoole booke of kyng Arthur and of his noble knyghtes of the rounde table," this work was first published in 1485, it was one of the last major books to be published in Britain before the introduction of the printing press by William Caxton. It was also one of the first books to be published by Caxton, who also acted as editor for the work. This is not a "mass market" edition but a high quality publication printed on white paper. The storyline, drawn partly from older Latin, Welsh, French, German, Norse and even Dutch epics, takes place in Britain and France during the fall of the Western Roman Empire. King Arthur, a legendary Celtic warrior-king, serves as a symbol for the final defeat of Rome, and also the emergence of the Medieval Courtly culture. Other events in the narrative take place in Rome and the Tigris-Euphrates river basin. The author divided the text into eight books, each dealing with a particular theme. Caxton broke these up further into twenty-one books. This Volume II of Le Morte d'Arthur contains Caxton's Books X-XXI.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. One of the greatest legends of all time, with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and The Fire-Eaters.

This English version of the stories of King Arthur, "Le Morte D'Arthur" was completed in 1469-70 by Sir Thomas Malory. Malory charts the tragic disintegration of the fellowship of the Round Table, destroyed from within by warring factions.

Dorsey Armstrong provides a new, Modern English translation of the MORTE DARTHUR that portrays the holistic and comprehensive unity of the text as a whole, as suggested by the structure of Caxton’s print, but that is based primarily on the Winchester Manuscript, which offers the most complete and accurate version of Malory’s narrative. This translation makes one of the most compelling and important texts in the Arthurian tradition easily accessible to everyone—from high school students to Arthurian scholars. In addition to the complete text, Armstrong includes an introduction that discusses Malory’s sources and the long-running debate surrounding the manuscript and print versions of the narrative. For ease of use, the text is keyed to both William Caxton’s print version and the manuscript version edited by Eugène Vinaver. A detailed index is also included.