Worlds of Arthur: King Arthur in History, Legend and Culture

by Fran Doel, Geoff Doel

Who exactly was King Arthur? What is the evidence for him as a historical figure, and how does this figure relate to the hero of medieval romances and other legends? Fran and Geoff Doel trace the cultural development of the legendary and literary Arthur, through medieval Welsh sources, the French Romances, and the tradition of courtly love to Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and the Tudor myth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Arthurian

141 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tessa Vliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Many things come together and are placed in context so the things you know from the legend get more meaning or a different meaning. Used this for a report and is a great source.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short introduction to the Arthurian corpus from the oldest historical and folkloric origins of the stories through medieval courtly literature and ending briefly with modern adaptations of the 19th and 20th centuries. The book presupposes some general education on the part of the reader but minimal familiarity with the subject matter. It was therefore not very interesting to me as a person who is already quite familiar with the topic, but it would be a convenient source for someone who wanted a quick overview. I would recommend it for readers or authors of Arthurian fiction who wanted to know a little more about the history and scholarship.