"For more than eight centuries, poets and writers have been telling stories about King Arthur. From lost legends and scraps of history, from facts and folklore, they have fashioned one of the greatest epics in all literature, full of the world's splendours, heroic loves and spiritual quests. This magical and mysterious world is founded on the figure of an obscure Welsh princeling, who was no more than the historical grain of sand int he poetic oyster. For this book is not about the quest for a 'real' Arthur. It is a celebration of the 'unreal' king, of his exploits in literature, of his far-famed knights and their ladies, of all the high trappings of romance. Here for the first time is a single volume which gives the reader an idea of the power and range of Arthurian literature from its beginnings to the present day. All the great Arthurian writers are represented, from France, Germany and England, and the text is complemented by a superb selection of illustrations, from early medieval sculpture through the riches of illuminated manuscripts to the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Each exceprt is set in its historical and literary context, so that anyone who enjoys this anthology can make his own exploration of the many and glittering treasures of Arthurian legend"--Jacket
Source: Publisher

A wonderful, chronologically organized collection of snapshots that show how the Arthurian legends have evolved over the centuries. ( )

This book I got many years ago from Quarwood of all places. It's one of the books I own from John Entwistle's personal library, and it is an exceptionally beautiful book. It is worth five stars for the pictures alone, but the accompanying text makes it all even better.

The book is a broad survey of the Arthurian Legends, and how they changed over time. Each section focuses upon a different period in Arthurian literature and is complete with a survey of what was focused upon during that time, and selections from each piece of art/literature. It begins with a selection from [b:Mabinogion|455219|The Mabinogion|Anonymous|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334993150s/455219.jpg|162739] and ends with one from [b:The Once and Future King|43545|The Once and Future King (The Once and Future King, #1-4)|T.H. White|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338741283s/43545.jpg|1140206], to give an idea of how thorough it is.

All in all, a beautiful book, and from the personal collection of a wonderful man. One of my most prized possessions. ( )

A nice anthology of Arthurian tales, with good notes and illustrations. ( )