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The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero
A comprehensive examination of the historical and mythological evidence for every major theory about King Arthur
• Explores the history of every Arthur candidate and the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations
• Examines 1,800 years of evidence for Arthur’s life and the famous series of 12 battles fought against the Saxons in the 6th century
• Reconstructs the history of the 6th century in Britain, when the first references to Arthur and the core events of his reign appear
Few legends have had the enduring influence of those surrounding King Arthur. Many believe the stories are based on historical truth. For others Arthur represents the archetype of the brilliant monarch reigning over a fairy-tale kingdom, offering his knights the opportunity to prove their mettle in battle and find gnostic illumination through initiation into sacred mysteries like that of the Grail.
Presenting the culmination of more than 40 years’ research, John and Caitlín Matthews examine the historical and mythological evidence for every major theory about the existence of King Arthur. Drawing on modern techniques in archaeology and scholarship, they reconstruct the history of the 6th century in Britain, the period when the first unambiguous references to Arthur appear. They explore the history of every Arthur candidate, the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations, and the evidence for his life and famous battles fought against the Saxons. Was the greatest British hero of all time not a king but a 2nd-century Roman officer active around Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria? A 5th-century soldier who operated in areas as far apart as Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, or Brittany? Or an entirely mythical fiction that provided a figure of light during a dark period of British history?
Examining other literary figures from the 5th century such as Vortigern and Ambrosius, the authors also break down the plots of all the major Arthurian romances, including those by Chretien de Troyes, Sir Thomas Malory, and Robert de Boron, to reveal the historical events they are based on. Piecing together the many fragments that constitute the image of Arthur, both the man and the myth, the authors show how each face of Arthur has something to offer and how his modern popularity proves the enduring power of the hero-myth, truly earning Arthur the title he first received in the 15th The Once and Future King.
• Explores the history of every Arthur candidate and the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations
• Examines 1,800 years of evidence for Arthur’s life and the famous series of 12 battles fought against the Saxons in the 6th century
• Reconstructs the history of the 6th century in Britain, when the first references to Arthur and the core events of his reign appear
Few legends have had the enduring influence of those surrounding King Arthur. Many believe the stories are based on historical truth. For others Arthur represents the archetype of the brilliant monarch reigning over a fairy-tale kingdom, offering his knights the opportunity to prove their mettle in battle and find gnostic illumination through initiation into sacred mysteries like that of the Grail.
Presenting the culmination of more than 40 years’ research, John and Caitlín Matthews examine the historical and mythological evidence for every major theory about the existence of King Arthur. Drawing on modern techniques in archaeology and scholarship, they reconstruct the history of the 6th century in Britain, the period when the first unambiguous references to Arthur appear. They explore the history of every Arthur candidate, the geographical arguments that have placed him in different locations, and the evidence for his life and famous battles fought against the Saxons. Was the greatest British hero of all time not a king but a 2nd-century Roman officer active around Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria? A 5th-century soldier who operated in areas as far apart as Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, or Brittany? Or an entirely mythical fiction that provided a figure of light during a dark period of British history?
Examining other literary figures from the 5th century such as Vortigern and Ambrosius, the authors also break down the plots of all the major Arthurian romances, including those by Chretien de Troyes, Sir Thomas Malory, and Robert de Boron, to reveal the historical events they are based on. Piecing together the many fragments that constitute the image of Arthur, both the man and the myth, the authors show how each face of Arthur has something to offer and how his modern popularity proves the enduring power of the hero-myth, truly earning Arthur the title he first received in the 15th The Once and Future King.
424 pages, Paperback
Published May 16, 2017
17 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
John Matthews
435 books199 followersJohn Matthews is an historian, folklorist and author. He has been a full time writer since 1980 and has produced over ninety books on the Arthurian Legends and Grail Studies, as well as short stories and a volume of poetry. He has devoted much of the past thirty years to the study of Arthurian Traditions and myth in general. His best known and most widely read works are ‘Pirates’ (Carlton/Atheneum), No 1 children’s book on the New York Times Review best-seller list for 22 weeks in 2006, ‘The Grail, Quest for Eternal Life’ (Thames & Hudson, 1981) ‘The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom’ (Element, 1994) and ‘The Winter Solstice’ (Quest Books, 1999) which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year. His book ‘Celtic Warrior Chiefs’ was a New York Public Library recommended title for young people.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 19, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the authors, John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews, and the publisher, Inner Traditions, for this opportunity.
As the title suggests, this chronicles the man behind the myth of King Arthur. The legendary historical figure had a multitude of possible historical beginnings, which range from the Roman era up until the modern day. Such a vast area of history was covered here and the authors did so in a commendable fashion. It seemed every possible surface was touched upon and this indeed does deserve the title of 'The Complete King Arthur'.
However, sometimes learning about the truth behind the fantasy isn't always a good thing. I think my interest in King Arthur may be more passing than I thought and, for me, I found this too densely deluged in fact and too lacking in a focus on the legend his notoriety hailed from.
As the title suggests, this chronicles the man behind the myth of King Arthur. The legendary historical figure had a multitude of possible historical beginnings, which range from the Roman era up until the modern day. Such a vast area of history was covered here and the authors did so in a commendable fashion. It seemed every possible surface was touched upon and this indeed does deserve the title of 'The Complete King Arthur'.
However, sometimes learning about the truth behind the fantasy isn't always a good thing. I think my interest in King Arthur may be more passing than I thought and, for me, I found this too densely deluged in fact and too lacking in a focus on the legend his notoriety hailed from.
January 23, 2018
A concise and chronological depiction of Arthurian stories, from the potential real-life inspirations in the Dark Ages through history, literature, art and film to contemporary times. It allows you to see the connective threads of history and legend, and shows how each era interpreted the stories to suit their own agendas and needs. This might be my favorite Arthurian non-fiction book after Sara Douglass' THE BETRAYAL OF ARTHUR.
March 11, 2017
The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero, is a comprehensive look at the many different persona’s of King Arthur. I have read many books from notable scholars on the subject of Arthur, so I was looking forward to seeing what John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews had to say for themselves. I was hoping for something fresh and easy to read, I got that.
The authors do not claim to have found Arthur, this isn’t that type of book, although I got the impression the authors were leaning towards the Roman Centurion, Artorius Castus, as a probable candidate!
This book covers a vast period, from Roman occupation of Britain, to now, which is a long period of history to cover, but I have to commend John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews, for they did it remarkably well.
This book looks at how Arthur has changed through the ages and how he has been used, to some extent, for political purposes. It also shows us how Arthur ‘the man’ was turned into Arthur ‘the legend’ and how the ancient texts were possibly misinterpreted. So as with anything to do with Arthur you expect to look at the works of Gildas, Nennius, Bede, etc... which this book does, and John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews have come up with some really interesting thesis as they interpret what they think this writing is, and isn’t, telling us. The authors arguments are very compelling, and I have to admit I had this book in one hand, and the rest of my vast Arthurian collection spread out before me while I cross-referenced. And for the most part, I found myself agreeing with what John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews have so elegantly put forward as an argument. Their interpretation makes sense.
This book spends a long time looking at Nennius’s 12 famous battles and how these "battles" have been interpreted / miss-interpreted over time, and, more importantly, what they say about the political landscape that they are set in. I thought the authors were right to dedicate this amount of time to these battles and for those new to Arthurian Legend this would be enlightening.
The book takes us on a journey and show us how Arthur changed over time from a soldier to a king, and it pays particular attention to the great poets, who of course, were responsible for this change. There is a fascinating chapter on Geoffrey of Monmouth, who is the founding father of the somewhat fictitious Arthur that we would recognise today. The authors look in great detail at Monmouth’s life and where he got his facts from - that missing ancient manuscript raises its head again - and more importantly, they look at why Monmouth wrote it in the first place.
The authors show the two sides of Arthur — the Christian King, and the spoilt, arrogant, almost evil Arthur that he was sometimes portrayed as. The book looks at principle players in Arthurian Legend as well - Kay, Mordred, Bedivere, Gawain, and Lancelot, as well as Arthur's Queen, all get a mention and as with Arthur, the authors demonstrate where the 'historical' characters came from, and which ones have a rather fictitious beginning!
I thought this book was very well thought out, there are lots of amazing images, a very useful timeline, maps, and everything is chronicled in order, so you really do need to start at the beginning as there is a lot of references to earlier chapters. This is a book that is suitable for those who are just starting out on their Arthurian journey, as well as those that are well on their way into their research.
This is a book that I am going to come back to again. It is a welcomed addition to my shelf.
I Highly Recommend.
*I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley, for review consideration*
The authors do not claim to have found Arthur, this isn’t that type of book, although I got the impression the authors were leaning towards the Roman Centurion, Artorius Castus, as a probable candidate!
This book covers a vast period, from Roman occupation of Britain, to now, which is a long period of history to cover, but I have to commend John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews, for they did it remarkably well.
This book looks at how Arthur has changed through the ages and how he has been used, to some extent, for political purposes. It also shows us how Arthur ‘the man’ was turned into Arthur ‘the legend’ and how the ancient texts were possibly misinterpreted. So as with anything to do with Arthur you expect to look at the works of Gildas, Nennius, Bede, etc... which this book does, and John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews have come up with some really interesting thesis as they interpret what they think this writing is, and isn’t, telling us. The authors arguments are very compelling, and I have to admit I had this book in one hand, and the rest of my vast Arthurian collection spread out before me while I cross-referenced. And for the most part, I found myself agreeing with what John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews have so elegantly put forward as an argument. Their interpretation makes sense.
This book spends a long time looking at Nennius’s 12 famous battles and how these "battles" have been interpreted / miss-interpreted over time, and, more importantly, what they say about the political landscape that they are set in. I thought the authors were right to dedicate this amount of time to these battles and for those new to Arthurian Legend this would be enlightening.
The book takes us on a journey and show us how Arthur changed over time from a soldier to a king, and it pays particular attention to the great poets, who of course, were responsible for this change. There is a fascinating chapter on Geoffrey of Monmouth, who is the founding father of the somewhat fictitious Arthur that we would recognise today. The authors look in great detail at Monmouth’s life and where he got his facts from - that missing ancient manuscript raises its head again - and more importantly, they look at why Monmouth wrote it in the first place.
The authors show the two sides of Arthur — the Christian King, and the spoilt, arrogant, almost evil Arthur that he was sometimes portrayed as. The book looks at principle players in Arthurian Legend as well - Kay, Mordred, Bedivere, Gawain, and Lancelot, as well as Arthur's Queen, all get a mention and as with Arthur, the authors demonstrate where the 'historical' characters came from, and which ones have a rather fictitious beginning!
I thought this book was very well thought out, there are lots of amazing images, a very useful timeline, maps, and everything is chronicled in order, so you really do need to start at the beginning as there is a lot of references to earlier chapters. This is a book that is suitable for those who are just starting out on their Arthurian journey, as well as those that are well on their way into their research.
This is a book that I am going to come back to again. It is a welcomed addition to my shelf.
I Highly Recommend.
*I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley, for review consideration*
April 23, 2024
I'm a medievalist by trade and few stories have shaped the general awareness of the Middle Ages like Arthuriana. Stories around King Arthur and his knights have arisen from countless of places in medieval Europe, being set in Wales, starting in France, being translated in Norway, and finding root in the English consciousness. John and Caitlin Matthews present a really ambitious overview here, based on their decades-long research into the figure of Arthur himself. This is less an exploration of the many literary traditions and more of a deep-dive into the historical and archaeological evidence of the man himself.
As a literary scholar, I found this very interesting, although it doesn't necessarily feed into my own research. I love the way medieval literature tells and retells a story, how our modern concepts of originality and authenticity do not factor into the conversation. Every group of people, every society, every culture, retold Arthuriana material for their own interests, and that is what I find the most intriguing. John and Caitlin Matthews definitely also glory in this variance, but the edge of finding the one hero, the actual man, the real truth, doesn't necessarily grab me the same way. However, 'The Complete King Arthur' is a well-researched and thorough book which details the extensive work done by John and Caitlin Matthews. For those interested into diving deeper into the lore around King Arthur and his court, this is an excellent point to start.
As a literary scholar, I found this very interesting, although it doesn't necessarily feed into my own research. I love the way medieval literature tells and retells a story, how our modern concepts of originality and authenticity do not factor into the conversation. Every group of people, every society, every culture, retold Arthuriana material for their own interests, and that is what I find the most intriguing. John and Caitlin Matthews definitely also glory in this variance, but the edge of finding the one hero, the actual man, the real truth, doesn't necessarily grab me the same way. However, 'The Complete King Arthur' is a well-researched and thorough book which details the extensive work done by John and Caitlin Matthews. For those interested into diving deeper into the lore around King Arthur and his court, this is an excellent point to start.
April 19, 2017
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
John and Caitlin Matthews have written a terrific and comprehensive study of King Arthur. The scope of this book is huge - it is admirable how well the authors examine so many facets of Arthur.
The first section focuses on the historical Arthur. The Matthews begin with the Roman Lucius Artorius Castus, who lived in the 2nd century AD, and work their way forward through the heart of the dark ages showing several viable candidates for the historical king.
"Arthur's transformation into a heroic medieval king was through a process of myth making that began within a few years of his passing." The largest part of the book analyzes the legendary Arthur. The depth of scholarship in this section is fantastic! I loved how easily the chapters flowed from Celtic myth to medieval poetry and beyond.
The final section of the book looks at modern interpretations of Arthur; all the heavy hitting artists, authors, and filmmakers are mentioned.
The notes and bibliography are a dream come true! Reading all the source material would be like a self-directed graduate degree in Arthuriana.
I highly recommend The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero.
John and Caitlin Matthews have written a terrific and comprehensive study of King Arthur. The scope of this book is huge - it is admirable how well the authors examine so many facets of Arthur.
The first section focuses on the historical Arthur. The Matthews begin with the Roman Lucius Artorius Castus, who lived in the 2nd century AD, and work their way forward through the heart of the dark ages showing several viable candidates for the historical king.
"Arthur's transformation into a heroic medieval king was through a process of myth making that began within a few years of his passing." The largest part of the book analyzes the legendary Arthur. The depth of scholarship in this section is fantastic! I loved how easily the chapters flowed from Celtic myth to medieval poetry and beyond.
The final section of the book looks at modern interpretations of Arthur; all the heavy hitting artists, authors, and filmmakers are mentioned.
The notes and bibliography are a dream come true! Reading all the source material would be like a self-directed graduate degree in Arthuriana.
I highly recommend The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero.
April 9, 2017
After many interruptions, finally finished! I am mentaly exhausted - in a good way - after reading this book.
See my review at: Melisende's Library - My Arthurian Renaissance: http://melisendeslibrary.blogspot.com...
See my review at: Melisende's Library - My Arthurian Renaissance: http://melisendeslibrary.blogspot.com...
May 30, 2019
Not for the beginner student of Arthurian myths.
August 9, 2025
One of those questions that people love to ask is, “Is there any truth to the King Arthur legend?” My understanding is that the historians’ answer is, “Probably not.” That being said, if there was… well, where would we look? This book goes through the history of Roman and post-Roman Britain and tries to work out who the historical Arthur might have been, and what he might have been like. After that, the book goes through an explanation as to how the literature evolved over the centuries: from a war leader that fought off against invaders, to a warrior king who conquered all of Europe.
People forget that! They seem to think that medieval Arthur minded his own country well enough, but there are a ton of medieval books in which Arthur apparently tries to conquer the world. And as the Matthewses point out in this book, centuries down the line, this was used as a vague justification for why the British Empire should take as much land as they did.
The book also details some of the key characters, like Merlin, Morgan, and Lancelot, and how they’ve changed or been added to the stories over time. I don’t think it’s news to you guys that Lancelot was added later to the stories, but it’s possible that Merlin was, too, though he was likely his own legendary figure in Britain before Geoffrey of Monmouth combined his story with Arthur’s.
I do not know how a historian would rate this book, but I found it an interesting rundown of the stories and a great attempt to trace all of their origins. I do think that the ending section, talking about more modern takes on the stories, is a bit lacking (and I think rating Cornwell’s version as ‘most historically accurate modern’ retelling is, uh, silly), but then again, asking for anyone to try to do a full summary of all of modern Arthurian fiction would be a horribly titanic task, so I don’t blame them for trying to just hit the highlights.
It’s a fun, interesting book, and I fully recommend that fans of Arthuriana give it a look.
People forget that! They seem to think that medieval Arthur minded his own country well enough, but there are a ton of medieval books in which Arthur apparently tries to conquer the world. And as the Matthewses point out in this book, centuries down the line, this was used as a vague justification for why the British Empire should take as much land as they did.
The book also details some of the key characters, like Merlin, Morgan, and Lancelot, and how they’ve changed or been added to the stories over time. I don’t think it’s news to you guys that Lancelot was added later to the stories, but it’s possible that Merlin was, too, though he was likely his own legendary figure in Britain before Geoffrey of Monmouth combined his story with Arthur’s.
I do not know how a historian would rate this book, but I found it an interesting rundown of the stories and a great attempt to trace all of their origins. I do think that the ending section, talking about more modern takes on the stories, is a bit lacking (and I think rating Cornwell’s version as ‘most historically accurate modern’ retelling is, uh, silly), but then again, asking for anyone to try to do a full summary of all of modern Arthurian fiction would be a horribly titanic task, so I don’t blame them for trying to just hit the highlights.
It’s a fun, interesting book, and I fully recommend that fans of Arthuriana give it a look.
July 27, 2017
For the serious student of history and culture, I have to believe this book will soon be required reading on the subject. For the "fan" of Arthurian legend, the book offers a unique insight into these beloved stories. Some sections, for me it was the examination of the battles, may offer more depth of analysis than is desired. A quick skim will reveal more treasures waiting in the next sections to captivate you.
Taking on popular mythology can be a daunting task. In "The Complete King Arthur", the Matthews have created a book that is carefully researched and equally carefully crafted. It is history that will delight you while expanding your understanding.
Why You Will Like It - Surrounded by centuries of legend, the authors offer you an in-depth look at the core of who "Arthur" may have been. They peel away the mythology to reveal an even more nuanced character for the "King of the Britons".
Taking on popular mythology can be a daunting task. In "The Complete King Arthur", the Matthews have created a book that is carefully researched and equally carefully crafted. It is history that will delight you while expanding your understanding.
Why You Will Like It - Surrounded by centuries of legend, the authors offer you an in-depth look at the core of who "Arthur" may have been. They peel away the mythology to reveal an even more nuanced character for the "King of the Britons".
September 15, 2017
An excellent and thorough 2017 review of the Arthur legend as it evolved over the years, with discussions of all aspects of the story, including history, myth, documentation, literature, music, etc. Many insights, much new information.
July 30, 2023
It got better as it went on, possibly because I became more familiar with the figures and people they were talking about. But even when the information was completely new, I was able to take it in pretty easily. I now have a large reading list to reawaken by King Arthur obsession.
April 14, 2020
It states the Complete King Arthur, thought I would learn more. Maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews