Nights Of The Round Table

imagine a mythic kingdom in England of wizards and witches, fire-breathing dragons, and dreadful giants. Who can rule this magical land? Who can overcome the powers of evil? It is the destiny of King Arthur and his noble knights, who protect and serve the people of Camelot. A perfect introduction to the Arthurian legends.

The Knights of the Round Table were the original knights in shining armour, and this book is for anyone who is interested in fantastical tales of bravery or the actual history behind the stories. In medieval Arthurian tradition, Arthur often takes a back seat in the most exciting stories: he appears at the beginning and end of each to set the scene and conclude the tale. The central character is instead one of the Knights of the Round Table, each of whom is confronted with a wide variety of challenges and quests ranging from fighting monstrous creatures and rescuing damsels in distress to coping with courtly love and intrigue. Although Arthur is the most well-known character from these stories his key knights - including Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval, and Tristan - are almost equally well known This volume provides a collection of the most famous and interesting tales of the Knights of the Round Table, including the historical and literary background to the stories.

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.

Retelling of the stories about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

This classic fifteenth-century chronicle of King Arthur and his knights is the essential interpretation of Arthurian legend in the English language. Full of adventure, magic, and romance, these are the timeless tales of Arthur, the great warrior king of Britain; his loyal knight Lancelot; the beautiful Queen Guinevere; and the mysterious Merlin. Based on French Arthurian romances reaching back to the twelfth century, Sir James Knowles’s narrative tells of the goings-on at Camelot, epic battles against invading Saxon enemies, and Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail, among many other exciting events. Sometimes published as Le Morte d’Arthur, these accounts of chivalry and daring escapades have inspired generations of storytellers, from the Romantic poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson to T. H. White, author of The Once and Future King, from American satirist Mark Twain to British comedy troupe Monty Python.

The Knights of the Round Table were the original knights in shining armour, and this book is for anyone who is interested in fantastical tales of bravery or the actual history behind the stories. In medieval Arthurian tradition, Arthur often takes a back seat in the most exciting stories, appearing at the beginning and end of each to set the scene and conclude the tale. The central character is instead one of the Knights of the Round Table, each of whom is confronted with a wide variety of challenges and quests ranging from fighting monstrous creatures and rescuing damsels in distress to coping with courtly love and intrigue. Although Arthur is the best-known character from these stories his key knights – including Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval, and Tristan – are almost equally well known. This volume provides a collection of the most famous and interesting tales of the Knights of the Round Table, including the historical and literary background to the stories.

Retells the exploits of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.