Chronicles of King Arthur

by Andrea Hopkins

An illustrated compendium of Arthurian legend draws on the romance masterpieces of Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chre+a7tien de Troyes, and Sir Thomas Malory to recount the myths of Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. 25,000 first printing. $25,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Arthurian, History, Mythology, Literature, Nonfiction, Reference

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Andrea Hopkins is a specialist in medieval and Arthurian history. Her published works include the highly regarded Chronicles of King Arthur, and Most Wise and Valiant Ladies.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a surprisingly fast read, but then again I'm already very familiar with the legends.

If you are new to the Arthurian Legends and want to find a good start to delve into the material that is out there, this would definitely be what you're looking for. Andrea Hopkins uses her own writing to bridge quotes from the famous works (such as Malory) and in that way gives you a very complete idea of the generally accepted view on the story. It's accompanied by lovely pictures, plus a lot of background story about the characters, locations & writers so it's all very complete. & Just a lovely read really. Definitely recommended.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful resource for both those who are new to the myths of King Arthur and those who are already students of Arthurian lore. I wish I had known about Chronicles of King Arthur when I was struggling through the original Middle English version of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Vol. 2. Andrea Hopkins has a scholar's pedigree but writes without the usual scholarly dryness. Gathered from the definitive medieval sources, she presents a cohesive and easy-to-follow retelling of the basic Arthurian legends. Her prose smoothly incorporates the work of several different authors into the individual tales, and the stories are told in refreshingly simple manner that still exudes a sense of wonder while providing the reader with a clear understanding of the events.

The chronicles themselves are divided into three parts: the birth of King Arthur and his rise to power, the golden age of his reign, and his decline and death. The numerous smaller episodes of Arthur and his knights within the cycle are then further separated into helpfully titled mini-chapters. The text is punctuated with a large number of beautiful illustrations taken from illuminated manuscripts, paintings, and earlier printed books, and the sidebars provide insights into various aspects of the stories as well as relevant historical facts. There is also a short list of the principal characters at the end of the book. The binding is excellent -- sewn rather than glued, which is rare nowadays -- and should hold up well. My only complaint is the lack of an index. An index would have made this book more valuable as a reference source. But it is still highly recommended in spite of this.

[Autumn Maisy Raquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it and I am glad I got it for $5 a bag book sale at my library book sale room 🏵️

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this at a bargain bookstore for seven dollars and could not believe my great luck! I have always loved the Arthur myths. This book is good as an introduction, but it is also a well put together reference for those that have read the other versions (such as Thomas Malory and Chretien de Troyes.) My favorite thing about this book was the amazing illustrations! It is chock full of colorful and beautiful portraits, interspersed with nuggets of history and legend. Lots of in depth exploration of topics such as the Round Table, Courtly Love, location of the 'true' Camelot... Merlin, etc. A great collectible book for Arthur fans!

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more I read them, the more I feel like the classic legends are so beautiful and yet so wooden. It's no wonder the Renaissance followed after a time when heroes wandered about in constant action sans any insight about the inner nuances of their emotion. That reaction aside, Hopkin's work is a fully informative and cohesive compilation of the various Arthurian sources. The chronicles include plenty of excellent art and historical asides.

[Giulio Siciliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm probably done with the Arthurian rabbit hole for a long time, because this book gave me enough perspective on how the tales reached us in the forms we know. It also gave me a much better appreciation of the ways chivalry has lived on in people's imagination through centuries, each period emphasizing different values. This book, however, doesn't go into any of the symbolism alluded to by the poets, but the integration of some original passages in middle English reveals it nicely here and there. I also found myself enjoying a lot of the artwork and paintings interspersed with the tales.

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing against the compiler or the set up of the the book. It wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't that bad. No, I have come to the conclusion that I have issue with the high middle ages conception of Arthur, with the one notable exception of St Gawain and the Green Knight.

[Zoë Ann Book Queen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 magical little stars

[Dianeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never read anything about King Arthur and the knights of the round table, I found this very interesting. I loved the illustrations, too.

[P.K. Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I am new to the literature of medieval romance (other than through literary allusion), I found the tales born of distant Arthurian legend interesting, yet disjointed. For instance, I would have liked the editor to provide more "linkage" between tales of Arthur's knights. Often these tales referenced earlier events and/or people (as part of the given tale) that were absent in the presented version. But as others have said, I think it a good introduction to the nature of these tales, and the illustrations were of course beautiful.

[Shannon Ellsworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast read. Fine book. Nice pictures. Was just hoping for a longer more substantial account of King Arthur legends.