King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (Puffin Classics)

The story seems to go from event to event to event, (not really the same as the stories you have seen repeatedly in the movies) with limited connectedness between them. I wanted to know the whole story, as I enjoy the Arthur stories in every version I have seen, but much prefer the movie rewrites over the book, which is completely off for me.

I may never get the knights' way of making decisions, they seem to be randomly jousting with anything on armor that crosses their path, and bragging about it if they win and dying or pledging allegiance if they lose, unles when for some reason they don't.

Also, there's a limited amount of words you can use to describe jousting, and 80% of this book are knights jousting, If I read the words "mighty buffet" once more I will flip out.

My favorite part is when sir Tristram chooses another name so he won't be recognized, his poor choicee was Homer Simpson-esque.

I got three of these books for my "high" reading group composed of 5th graders. They loved the story! None of them had ever heard of the story (yes, very sad), but they were quite glad they read it!

I was deeply disappointed by this adaptation of the Arthurian legend. I hadn't read the reviews before I started -- I wish I had. As many other commenters have noted, this is a Victorian adaptation of the legend, which means that certain aspects of the story (like Sir Lancelot's affair with Lady Guinevere) are heavily de-emphasized because they were too lewd for contemporary audiences. There are also other well-known stories (the most prominent being Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) that aren't present at all.

If you're interested in the traditional stories of the King Arthur legend, this collection is strictly worse than Thomas Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur, which is always available at a low price for Kindle. If you're looking for entertainment that utilizes the Arthurian characters, there are a lot of superior series, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon, T.H. White's Once and Future King, Mary Stewart's Arthurian Saga, Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, and Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle. Those are all different works aimed at different audiences, but you'll definitely be able to find something more engaging than Sir Knowles' collection here.

This is an OLD book. the dialogue is so slow moving and it felt like there was an awful lot of antiquated fight scenes. this guy hit this guy and the other guy hit him back and so and so won. the narration is also a sleeper. so sorry I thought it would be a cool classic but it was a snoozer.

I enjoyed reading it because I do love the legend of King Arthur but it was very short and to the point. No exploration, No real details. It was almost as if it were a children's book. That left me the most disappointed. I guess I will just have to continue my search for a good, complete King Arthur book.

Like Forrest Gump, this book covers all territory from Stonehenge to Arthur being emperor of Rome. Of course it is all fantasy but I thought it was fun. Seems all knights wanted to do was fight. Did they ever make love or were they all impotent? Enjoy it.

I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THIS BOOK I READ IT ND REREAD IT I SHARED THIS BOOK WITH MY CHILDREN YEARS AGO ONE OF THME LOST IT..LOOKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS FOR TH SME BOOK IN DIFFERENT ANTIQUE SHOPW FINALLY GAVE UP...FOUND IT HERE SAME PUBLISHER SAME COPYWRITE....SIDNEY LANIER IS GREAT....HIS WORKS LIVE ON ......OH AND HAD I BEEN THERE ARTHUR WOULD HAVE BEEN MINE

One of my favorite old movies is Camelot with Richard Burton and Vanessa Redgrave, so I thought this book would be enjoyable. Boy was I in for a surprise. Yes, the story of Camelot is in there but you have to get through all the battles and smiting that goes on. It’s very tedious reading, especially with the archaic language that the book is written in. I think I’ll just watch the movie again.

Though it can not be proven that he and his knights actually lived in past history, I chose to believe they did. If not King Arthur, then through similar men at the time. Great reading! And who can say his legend is not real?

I purchased the book for my great grandson, as he was going to MEDIEVAL TIMES to celebrate his 8th birthday. The family witnessed him being "knighted" which was a highlight of the evening for us. But to get back to the book - I purchased it as "new". Was pleased at the quick delivery and outward appearance (5 star) but was a little upset to find passages in the book had been underlined in color.
This may prove helpful to him if he ever writes a book report but I found it disconcerting.

In my opinion, I think this book was very boring. There were lots of hard words. I am only a child so I guess it is expected. So, what I'm saying is, children do not check this out until you think you can withstand boredom and some pretty rough vocabulary. Maybe when you're in middle school. I did not get half the words in here. Thank you for reading. :D

Classic King Arthur stories, with all the smiteth-ing and destresseth damsels one might wish.

A bit of a slow read due to the older writing style and inclusion of every name of every knight present at every battle, but the book contained everything from Merlin's predictions to the Quest for the Holy Grail to Arthur being bore off to Avalon, although it lacked the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

I gave you my evaluation when I finished the book. Do you lunkheads remember. This one had too much blood and guts for me. Every chapter said almost the same thing. Just the names and places were changed.

I enjoyed this book, or what part of it I read, anyway. It is the rather un-nuanced account of the adventures had by a group of knights (of the Round Table, of course). There is no character development and very little overarching plot to tie the stories together, but there is something oddly compelling about it. There is a great deal of smiting, and rending helms asunder, and rescuing fair maidens in distress (can you imagine???? The evil giant makes ladies actually do manual labor, though they be of high birth!).

You get the general idea pretty quickly, I've read half and feel like I've gotten all I will get out of this book. It's free though, so I am glad I checked it out.

It's curious to me that this is the best-selling version of the King Arthur story in the kindle store, because it's a singularly flawed collection, well-eclipsed by other variants that are also available for free online; I suspect its popularity is an artifact of the search engine, not the book's own merits.

The author, Sir James Knowles, was an architect and friend of Tennyson, best known for founding the Metaphysical Society; this is, therefore, a very Victorian Arthur. In this case, "victorian" means "bowdlerized to the point of inanity." The story of Merlin's enchantment of Uther and Igraine to arrange Arthur's conception is almost completely elided ("When Uther, therefore, was at length happily wedded" -- yep, that's the whole story); Sir Tristram is apparently completely chaste with Iseult (King Mark just doesn't like him for some indiscernible reason) and even when Lancelot and Guinevere are caught together and the entire course of the story turns on adultery, such that bowdlerization was completely impossible, Gawain suggests that "it may well be that Lancelot was in her chamber for no evil." The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is simply not included at all.

I suppose that kind of bowdlerization might be acceptable in a children's version of the Arthur stories, but this edition isn't good for that either, for two reasons: 1) like many free kindle ebooks, all illustrations have been removed, and 2) it's a kindle edition, and who gives a $250 ebook reader to a child too young to read a story with adultery in it?

There are other problems also. The King of Gaul (Sir Bors) is an ally for the first third and last third of the book, but in the middle, Gaul has a different king, Flollo, and Arthur conquers Gaul six ways from Sunday (mostly as a stopover in his conquest of Rome); timelines don't add up; so on, so forth. I didn't feel the author did a good job of telling the Arthur legends, in any particular. In short, this is a bad version of the King Arthur story and the general reader would be better off not wasting time on it.

I'm sure people are going to say "hey, it's an early victorian version, don't hold it to such high standards," but there's no reason for a modern reader to read these, any more than there's reason to read Sir Thomas Bowdler's "Family Shakespeare". For more "historical" versions of the Arthur legend, either of this versions' main source materials -- Geoffrey of Monmouth's _History of the Kings of Britain_ or Sir Thomas Malory's _Morte D'Arthur_ -- are superior reads (though I'll admit you'd want to skim Monmouth heavily). My own personal favorite, Howard Pyle's three-book version of the Arthur story ("The Story of King Arthur and His Knights," "The Story of the Champions of the Round Table," and "The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur") is similarly available for free online in the public domain, can be found with excellent illustrations by Pyle himself, is written in a fashion suitable for children and adults, and does a far better job of capturing the romance of the Arthur legends.

But whatever version you pick, this one is a poor place to start. It does have some strengths -- chiefly an encylopedic compilation of at least some version of almost every PG Arthur-related tale -- but the author's victorian mores seem to have twisted far too many of the stories into unrecognizability. Not recommended.

There is so much more to this book than has been depicted in films and adaptations: much more than a King named Arthur, a Round Table, and a certain Sir Lancelot after Arthur’s wife. The adaptations have been much embellished, but Thomas Malory’s adventures had a nostalgic setting and a feeling of chivalry and honour that cannot be replicated. King Arthur and Camelot are the beginning – a canvas for a series of clashes between heroic knights, to prove themselves to damsels, wed beautiful princesses, and seek favour from the great King Arthur and his court.

King Arthur himself is not noted upon as much as you would expect. After pulling the sword from the stone he becomes a forgiving figurehead and the centre of goodwill among esteemed knights. Jousting clashes between knights; shields, swords, and helms; were combined with knightly quests of valour to confront rogue knights with force and prove to bitter damsels their worth.

From the beginning I wasn't too big a fan of the book. Now, to be fair, this was a summer reading book so that played a part, however the story didn't really catch my attention. To make it worse, there are multiple story lines at once that all intercept in weird ways, which made it hard for me to follow. As the story goes along, I didn't find myself connecting with the characters and began to become bored with the story. The story tends to be highly religious also, and as someone who knows next to nothing about Christianity I'm pretty sure about 75% of the story went straight over my head. However, my more religious friends really enjoyed it, so I feel that my lack of religious knowledge contributed to my confusion.

Overall, I was not a huge fan of the story. There were too many plots that didn't connect in obvious or important ways, which confused me. The characters were boring and unrelatable - they were probably more relatable when the stories were first written in the early 12th century. They tended to make stupid choices that had me frustrated and screaming at the book (quite literally). Finally, the story was based on religion way too much for my taste, being someone who has never gone to church regularly and doesn't really plan on it. All together, these problems earned the book a low rating of 2 stars. Also, Green spelled Lancelot as Launcelot so that made me very frustrated (I promise I'm sane).

Although I didn't like the book, I know multiple people who also read it and DID like it. This makes me think that I have been spoiled by the great books I read, leaving me with impossibly high standards for books (sorry guys!). So, my recommendation is going to be based off a combination of experiences, just to give a fully unbiased opinion on who should read it. Firstly, if you're a complete lover of Christianity who knows all the specific holidays and traditions that go along with the religion, this may be a good book for you. Practically the whole novel centers around religion, and it's probably helpful to have a working knowledge of religion (which I don't). Secondly, if you like reading about the medieval times with jousting and sword fights and wonderful, wholesome, pure knights then this book would be great for you. That's all this story is about and it includes a lot of action and details about the adventures and struggles they face. Finally, if you are a lover of classics, then I recommend King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. It's one of the oldest stories out there, just updated so young people can read it.

If you're in search of a King Arthur retelling for young readers that stretches from his birth to his death and includes everything that happens in between, I personally would recommend Rosemary Sutcliffe's King Arthur Trilogy. To me, it is the quintessential compendium of King Arthur lore, taken from a variety of sources, and retold in Sutcliffe's beautiful poetic-prose. Variations of the legend are a dime a dozen these days, but to me, Sutcliffe's version is the best.

However, for those with a particular interest in Arthurian legend, and eager to get their hands on every bit of literature surrounding him, then Roger Lancelyn Green's classic is just as essential. As a member of one of the famous Inklings of Oxford University (a group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis), Green was keen to organize the myriad of Arthur-related stories and combine them into a structured whole, all in a novel that would be accessible to children. As such "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" is notable not simply due to the coherency that Green lends to what had previously been a diverse array of legends, but that for the first time they were specifically geared toward children.

Most of the Arthurian novelizations prior to this had used Thomas Malory as their basis, but in his prologue Green outlines his wider collection of sources, including Geoffrey of Monmouth, Godfrey of Strasbourg, Chrestien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach, and a variety of other British, French and German ballads. Even the epilogue is derived from a folktale that was recorded (comparatively) recently in a King Arthur anthology by Sir Edmund Chambers.

Green's contribution was to make each disparate adventure part of a fixed pattern with a running theme of good versus evil, the rise and fall of the kingdom, and chivalry and holiness set against temptation and treachery. In doing this, the book is divided into four parts: The Coming of Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, the Quest for the Holy Grail, and the Departure of Arthur. This chronological outline has been followed by pretty much every Arthurian novelist since.

Everything you know - and some things you don't - about the legend is recorded here: from Arthur's secretive birth, his fostered upbringing with Sir Ector, the sword in the stone, the retrieval of Excalibur from the lake, the founding of Camelot, his marriage to Guinevere, and the Round Table. The familiar characters are all present and accounted for: Arthur, Guinevere, Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, Morgana le Fay, Sir Gawaine, Sir Lancelot, and the rest of the Knights of the Round Table. The second book records the assortment of adventures that these knights get up to in the kingdom of Logres, and the third recounts the quest for the Holy Grail. Finally, the tale reaches its tragic conclusion when the evil designs of Mordred and the fatal love affair between Arthur's queen and his best knight come to light.

Some things have been sanitized a little for younger readers. Here Lancelot and Guinevere's affair goes no further than a clandestine meeting behind closed doors, and the fact that Mordred is Arthur's incestuous son by his half-sister has been exorcised completely.

In terms of prose, Green writes clearly and simplistically - it's certainly easier to read than Malory, but also a bit dry compared to Sutcliffe. What he provides here is the bare bones of the Arthurian insight, with characters outlined in broad strokes. There is virtually no insight into characterization, and the plot itself can get immensely complex, even with Green's unifying structure. Random things happen for no rhyme or reason, and the narrative is full of things such as love at first sight, honor before reason, miracles beyond the understanding of mortals, and other inexplicable occurrences.

The behavior of its characters can be equally baffling. Knights can go from chivalrous to bloodthirsty at the drop of a hat, and though Morgana le Fay is the main antagonist of the first part of the book, she disappears for the middle segment and then reappears as a benevolent figure to take Arthur to Avalon. There's no attempt made to explain the abrupt about-turn.

Certain prominent characters disappear completely without any closure on where they went or how they died, while others pop up out of nowhere without any real introduction. Then there are the plot-holes, such as: if the Lady of the Lake is with Arthur on the barge taking him to Avalon, then whose was the hand that caught Excalibur in the lake only minutes before?

However, it's important to note that I'm not pointing these out as flaws, but merely factors of the book. Green follows the obscure reasoning of the legends, and his goal was not to explain these inconsistencies, but to record and organize them. To expound too much on what is really happening is the work of later Arthurian novelists, and - in a way - deprives the oldest incarnations of the story of their mystery. Like all the best Arthur retellings, this one retains the enigmatic nature of the legends, and as stories go, is a rewarding experience.

This particular Puffin Classic includes biographical information on the author, a character guide, a study guide for teachers with suggested activities based on the book, and an introduction by David Almond.

Times were dark. The Saxons were invading, and Ambrosius had died, the last fingerprint of Roman England, while England slowly descended to the petty quarrels of separated Lords and Barons of the lands.
And here is Arthur.
Arthur.
The boy who lighted England with chivalry and manners, drove the Saxons from the land, and brought a small reign of peace among the tribes, mentored by Merlin himself and the son of Uther Pendragon.
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table was a thick legend full of a sweet scent hankering towards poetry and medieval ages, something refreshing, a tarnished heirloom of stories brought to life centuries ago, filled with dark magic, damsels, knights and the spellbinding final fate of England's mythic King, that he should come again when England is in need of him.
What I favored in this book was how it captured the rules of knightly chivalry, and medieval ages, though some people might view King Arthur as just a long line of chivalrous nonsense. [I'm only saying this to warn away people who don't favor long speeches and declarations of forever faithfulness, loyalty and pledges of love].
If you are looking for a change in literature, with poetic tones, then this is for you.

It is a sturdy bound library edition published in 1950. Though the binding is frayed and a bit unravelled, it is still in excellent condition.

Mary MacLeaod writes about Arthur and the adventures of his guardian knights in such an exciting and enchanted way. Though the language is archaic at times, even sounding biblical in word choice, it is well writtenand tells each adventure in a way that the reader will be immersed in the charm and magic of Camelot. Of course these stories are legendary and there are many authors who have presented them equally well, but Mary MacLeod's rendition still rings true and sings with enchantment unlike many of the modern publications.

Modern readers may not be as thrilled by the lack of mind-bending deception and complex plot schemes, but this book is written true to the original stories for an audience which has since evolved. By that alone it is a special treasure and an edition to be cherished.

Though you may find many other stories of King Arthur and his Knights, this is a really special book which can hardly be overlooked despite its age and antiquity.

KING ARTHUR & THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE, by Roger Lanclyen Green, is the real story of King Arthur, ranging from his birth and Mother and Father Igrayne and Uther, till his death at Calamann.

It begins when Arthur is searching for his step-brother, Kay's, sword, and discovers the sword of King-ship and pulls it out of the stone and anvil. Then it goes to the story of King Pellinore and his search for the questing beast, and how Arthur was given Excalibur, then how Sir Balyn and Balan laid the curse of desolation by accident on the land surrounding Carbonek, then to the story of his adventures, Launcelot, Tristram, Percivale, Gawain, Launcelot's love for the Queen and his marriage with Eliane, and then the mystical quest of the Holy Grail, and how it was achieved by Sir Galahad, Percivale, and Bors...
But how did Percivale find his wife and become King of Carbonek, and how did Launcelot's love for the Queen and Mordred's hate against Logres and King Arthur become the ending of them all???
This book is advisable for children of all ages, and I advise it to most children in the 9-12 range

Elisha Kim

KING ARTHUR & THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE, by Roger Lanclyen Green, is the real story of King Arthur, ranging from his birth and Mother and Father Igrayne and Uther, till his death at Calamann.

It begins when Arthur is searching for his step-brother, Kay's, sword, and discovers the sword of King-ship and pulls it out of the stone and anvil. Then it goes to the story of King Pellinore and his search for the questing beast, and how Arthur was given Excalibur, then how Sir Balyn and Balan laid the curse of desolation by accident on the land surrounding Carbonek, then to the story of his adventures, Launcelot, Tristram, Percivale, Gawain, Launcelot's love for the Queen and his marriage with Eliane, and then the mystical quest of the Holy Grail, and how it was achieved by Sir Galahad, Percivale, and Bors...
But how did Percivale find his wife and become King of Carbonek, and how did Launcelot's love for the Queen and Mordred's hate against Logres and King Arthur become the ending of them all???
This book is advisable for children of all ages, and I advise it to most children in the 9-12 range

Elisha Kim

The Legend of King Arthur is a book that everyone should read at least once in his life. The Legend actually consists of hundreds of stories passed down for generations orally. Then somebody wrote it down, someone else read different ones of those and wrote his own. This way there are many different versions. The one that I read, and this review is about, is written by Roger Lancelyn Green. Unlike the other ones, which are hundreds of years old, this book is written in modern English. Because of that you can read it pretty fast.
Every chapter in this book is a story for itself, which have only a little to do with each other. The only character which is mentioned in every of those stories is King Arthur. He is the famous King of Logres, the holy realm. The story takes place in the 400s, when the Saxons invaded Britain. God thought that Britain will fall if he doesn't support them. So he decided to establish the Realm of Logres, which should be ruled by King Arthur. As soon as he began to ruled Britain, most of the world's best knights were at his court. The most famous one is Sir Launcelot. He was the best knight at the Round Table, but Logres also fell because of him and the beauty of King Arthur's wife.
And when Britain is in need, the Holy Realm of Logres can be reestablished at any time.

Who hasn�t heard of King Arthur and the knights of his Round Table? In this book you meet them all � including the magician Merlin, and the brave knights Sir Lancelot, Sir Gareth, Sir Tristam, Sir Bors, Sir Key, and Sir Galahad. All the old favorites are included � Arthur drawing the sword out of the stone, Arthur receiving the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, Arthur becoming emperor, and Arthur�s marriage to Guinevere. These events are recounted with surprising little drama. But don�t give up too soon � the best comes with all the quests and adventures of the knights that follow, including the Quest for the Holy Grail. This book is chock-full of entertaining adventures involving knights in shining armour, damsels in distress, fierce jousting and sword fights to the death, battles against hoards of enemies and giants, tournaments and miracles. Accompanying the text of this hard-cover, are ornate black and white pictures and images that contribute splendidly to the atmosphere evoked by the text.
The medieval setting is painted in a rather idealized fashion, limited to the nobility and figures of the court, who embrace all that is beautiful, brave and noble. These virtues are sometimes portrayed rather simplistically, as unknown knights engage in mortal combat, and only after they have virtually killed each other do the introductions begin: �What is your name?� Behind this medieval mayhem is a heightened sense of chivalry more reflective of legend than fact, where knights battle to the death for the sake of a woman - even one they have only just met. But isn�t that what the Arthurian legends are all about? Nobody is under the illusion that they are to be taken too seriously. Journeying to Arthur�s Camelot is a form of escapism - suspend your sense of disbelief, watch the flashing swords and fearful battles, and enjoy.
That�s not to say that the Arthurian tales do not reflect any reality. Arthur�s world is in many respects a real medieval world. Medieval beliefs in paganism and Christianity are evident throughout. Witchcraft and enchantment is presented as alive and deadly, and conversely the true religion � in this case the beliefs of the medieval Catholic church � is evident throughout as knights commend themselves to God in prayer, thank him for his help, and even repent from their sins. The whole notion of the Holy Grail is of course a very Christian tradition � although a tradition that represents more fiction than fact. And the moral virtues of justice, truth and right for which the honorable knights fight are still noble ideals of virtue today. Arthur�s kingdom is presented as a kingdom blessed by the grace of God, a beacon of light symbolizing all that is good and true and right, and a worthy model for kingdoms in today�s world because it revolves around timeless virtues. Tales that promote dignity, courtesy, courage, respect for right, respect for female dignity and purity are as ennobling as they are entertaining.
How much truth there is behind the Arthurian tales will always be the subject of debate. The fact remains that there is an extensive and confusing body of legend to wade through. In this 1923 work, Knowles has essentially followed Malory�s fifteenth century classic �Morte d�Arthur.� Even his language is antiquated and tedious, but persevere because you will soon find that this an enjoyable and essential addition that heightens the heroic atmosphere of the story and gives the legend a fittingly majestic touch. But it is doubtful that Malory or Knowles have been successful in making a great deal of sense out of the confusing mass of legend, because it is not unified in a plausible manner. Those looking for a more readable or easier introduction to king Arthur would be better served by the works by Roger Lancelyn Green or Howard Pyle.
In the end these tales of King Arthur and his knights remains a hodgepodge of anecdotes with different styles that is sometimes hard to wade through. But that doesn�t matter. This collection is primarily of historical value, in giving a true picture of the original legends as they have been transmitted across hundreds of years. Even if it�s not always easy to read, it cannot be denied that Knowles has produced a very comprehensive collection of the Arthurian tales, and the unbelievable exploits of knights in shining armour will continue to entertain in the future just as they have done in the past. Along with the tales of Robin Hood, the tales of King Arthur are the most exciting tales that British history has produced. This is the stuff of legend, and it�s worth a read.

Who hasn't heard of King Arthur and the knights of his Round Table? In this book you meet them all - including the magician Merlin, and the brave knights Sir Launcelot, Sir Gareth, Sir Tristam, Sir Bors, Sir Kay, and Sir Galahad. All the old favorites are included - Arthur drawing the sword out of the stone, Arthur receiving the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur's marriage to Guinevere. But this is just the beginning of excitement - followed by numerous quests and adventures of the knights, including the Quest for the Holy Grail. This book is chock-full of entertaining adventures involving knights in shining armour, damsels in distress, fierce jousting and sword fights to the death, battles against hoards of enemies and giants, tournaments and miracles.
The medieval setting is painted in a rather idealized fashion, limited to the nobility and figures of the court, who embrace all that is beautiful, brave and noble. These virtues are sometimes portrayed rather simplistically, as unknown knights engage in mortal combat, and only after they have virtually killed each other do the introductions begin: "What is your name?" Behind this medieval mayhem is a heightened sense of chivalry more reflective of legend than fact, where knights battle to the death for the sake of a woman - even one they have only just met. But isn't that what the Arthurian legends are all about? Nobody is under the illusion that they are to be taken too seriously. Journeying to Arthur's Camelot is a form of escapism - suspend your sense of disbelief, watch the flashing swords and fearful battles, and enjoy.
That's not to say that the Arthurian tales do not reflect any reality. Arthur's world is in many respects a real medieval world. Medieval beliefs in paganism and Christianity are evident throughout. Witchcraft and enchantment is presented as alive and deadly, and conversely the true religion - in this case the beliefs of the medieval Catholic church - is evident throughout as knights commend themselves to God in prayer, thank him for his help, and even repent from their sins. The whole notion of the Holy Grail is of course a very Christian tradition - although a tradition that represents more fiction than fact. And the moral virtues of justice, truth and right for which the honorable knights fight are still noble ideals of virtue today. Arthur's kingdom is presented as a kingdom blessed by the grace of God, a beacon of light symbolizing all that is good and true and right, and a worthy model for kingdoms in today's world because it revolves around timeless virtues. Tales that promote dignity, courtesy, courage, respect for right, respect for female dignity and purity are as ennobling as they are entertaining.
How much truth there is behind the Arthurian tales will always be the subject of debate. The fact remains that there is an extensive and confusing body of legend to wade through. In this work, Green has essentially followed Malory's fifteenth century classic "Morte d'Arthur." But unlike most other writers, such as Sir James Knowles, Green has made some significant improvements:
1. Firstly, the traditional Arthurian tales are a confusing mass of legends. But Green consciously weaves all the tales together as part of a single pattern. He needs to take some liberties with legend in order to achieve this, but these alterations are minor, and the end result is a plausible reconstruction with a clear development, revolving around the establishment of Arthur's kingdom, its climax with the successful quest for the Holy Grail, and subsequent downfall.
2. Secondly, most other collections slavishly follow the body of legend inherited by Thomas Malory. Green follows Malory in the main, but has researched the legends carefully for himself, and also incorporates some Arthurian legends not found in Malory.
These innovations of Green result in a very readable and successful version of the Arthurian tales, and yet one that does not significantly sacrifice faithfulness to legend. Those looking for a more historical reflection of the Arthurian tales would do well to turn to a version of Malory, such as that by Sir James Knowles. And those looking for a more developed and extensive modern version where the author has taken liberties beyond the original legends, would enjoy the classic work by Howard Pyle. But as a faithful, plausible and enjoyable introduction to the tales, you can't go wrong with this superb effort by Green.
Most readers looking to be introduced to the Arthurian legends need look no further than this collection by Green. It's not as grand as Malory, but it's a better read. There is no end to the accomplishments of sword and sorcery, adventures and quests. To our sorrow, Arthur's kingdom ends in darkness and disgrace, but not before it has shone with a wonderful and memorable light. Along with the tales of Robin Hood, the tales of King Arthur are the most exciting tales that British history has produced. This is the stuff of legend, and it's worth a read.

This is the second book I've read by Roger Lancelyn Green. The first of which was "The Adventures of Robin Hood". Green's talents lie in taking legendary stories that have been retold over and over throughout the years and combining the best of those stories into one cohesive book. Unlike in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" however where Green didn't seem to favor any one author over another, and appeared to have a hard time mixing and matching the different writing styles; here Green seems content to be able to heavily rely on the wonderful works of Thomas Malory. It takes Green sometime however to get to those individual stories. The first couple of chapters (which I suspect are where Green includes most of the works by his other sources) seem to be a little bland and hard to follow at times, but once Greene is done introducing most of the main characters he then settles down nicely into the individual tales. At first I was reminded of reading the Iliad where it begins in a similar fashion by introducing you to what seemed like a thousand different characters without any real attempt to give you a feel for any of them. (I was introduced to 33 Knights in the first 57 pages). It made it difficult to know which characters you were really supposed to focus on.

The novel is split up into four books, "The Coming Of Arthur", "The Knights Of The Round Table", "The Quest Of The Holy Grail", and "The Departing Of Arthur".

Logres (otherwise known as the land of blessing, God's Kingdom upon earth, or plain old England) was constantly at war with the Saxons from Germany and Denmark. Aurelius Ambrosius, who was one of the last of the Roman Emperors was dead, and Uther Pendragon who was believed to be his brother ruled Briton. He defeated the Saxons in many battles and brought peace to the land he ruled over which he called Camelot (otherwise known as London). The peace continued until he fell in love with the wife of Duke Gorlois, who was one of Uther's loyal followers, and was ruling over Cornwall. Uther wound up going to war against Gorlois and killed him. Three hours later however, with the help of Merlin the good enchanter, he took the form of Gorlois and met Gorlois' wife the Lady Igrayne at the castle Tintagle and made her his wife. Merlin watched over their love and from it they had a son. With Merlin's advise, Uther then allows Merlin to take the boy away in secret to Avalon "The Land Of Mystery" where he is hidden. The Dwellers in Avalon who are said to be Fairies and Elves bestow upon the child three gifts. They were that he may live an exceptionally long life, become the best Knight, and the greatest of Kings these lands would ever see.

Uther and Igrayne's time together was short lived however as Uther was soon after this poisoned by a traitor and dies. Igrayne takes over as queen and evil falls upon Logres more darker than in any previous times. Uther and Igrayne had no other children together, but Igrayne and Gorlois already had three daughters. Morgawse and Elaine grew up to marry Kings and their sons wound up being among the bravest Knights of the Round Table, but the third daughter who was called Morgana le Fay, was sent to a nunnery and some how there learned magic and turned wicked.

Merlin was away for many years, but at an appointed time he returns on Christmas Day and foretells the coming of the true King of Briton. He gathers the people together at mass with the help of the Archbishop and introduces a sword stuck in a marble stone and anvil. "Whoso pulleth out this sword from this stone and anvil is the True-Born King of all Britain." (I found this very weird that the Church and the wizard were both working together.) All the best Knights in England are then gathered together for a tournament on New Year's Day and they each make attempts to remove the sword but fail. Later, Arthur, who is only a boy is sent home to retrieve a sword for his brother Sir Kay who was in the tournament. When the door is locked he remembers seeing one in a stone along the way that wasn't being used, so he returns to take that one instead. There used to be guards around the stone, but they had all left to join in the tournament. Arthur goes up and pulls it out without any trouble and gives it to his brother to use in the tournament. Their father Sir Ector upon finally realizing it was really Arthur who removed the sword bows down to him and reveals to Arthur that he had been adopted, and that his real father was Uther Pendragan. On Witsun or Pentecost (the "birthday" of the Christian church. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus at Easter, and ten days after the Ascension. It is also known in English as Whitsun or Whitsunday, because of the white robes worn this day by those newly baptized), after it is proved that no one else has the ability to draw the sword, Arthur is made King. Since he is only a boy of sixteen however, many challenge to take the throne from Arthur, but with the guidance of Merlin he learns from all of his mistakes and prevails.
One of the mistakes Arthur had made and learned from was going against King Pellinore even after Merlin advised against it. King Pellinore at this time was still much stronger than Arthur, and in the battle between them Arthur's sword was broken in two. With Merlin's assistance however Arthur's life is spared, and King Pellinore later becomes one of the great Knights of the Round Table, but Arthur learned some humility from the experience, and was now ready to do great things. (This reminded me a bit of the scene in "The Lord of the Rings" when Aragorn stands before Isuldur's broken sword in the House of Elrond).
Merlin then introduces Arthur to the Lady Nimue who is the Lady of the Lake and from the lake he receives his new sword "Excalibur" that was made in Avalon and no one can stand against it. He is also given a jeweled scabbard and belt that so long as he is wearing it will prevent him from bleeding much in battle. (Later he also obtains a spear that is never broken that he names "Ron"). Arthur conquers all those who oppose him, and creates a great Kingdom. He then falls in love with Guinevere and makes her his Queen. In the hall of his kingdom Merlin sets up a Round Table, and Arthur invites the bravest Knights to join him. The round table can hold up to one hundred and fifty Knights. As each Knight is accepted to the table their names magically appeared on the back of each chair in gold lettering (the names would then fade if any of them were killed). Four chairs however were reserved for special Knights who would come at a later time. One of these chairs is called the "Siege Perilous", since no one can attempt to sit there who was not worthy without risking certain death.

Merlin is Arthur's advisor throughout this whole time until his Kingdom is set up and in good hands, but then he goes away. He says Arthur now has to prove his merit on his own. Before he goes however he foretells all that is going to happen in the book. He tells of everyone's great deeds and how each of them is going to die. He then tells of some betrayals and losses, and Arthur just listens to it all and excepts it. I hated this part. There was no Free-will. Everyone believed in Predetermination, and there didn't seem to be any way they could change their fate. It seemed very depressing.

Each year on the Feast of Pentecost all the Knights who have sworn allegiance to King Arthur returned to Camelot, took their place at the Round Table, and renewed their vows to serve Arthur. Arthur had made a rule however that dinner couldn't be served that day each year until either he heard of a tale of adventure, an adventure came to them, or they received a request for help. This was how the majority of each of the individual tales then began.

Among the best of the Knights who would come to join Arthur at this table would include Sir Gawain, who was my favorite Knight in the book. He is one of Arthur's nephews, and can only be surpassed in greatness by Sir Launcelot and the Holy Knight. His greatest battles in the book, which are also two of my favorite tales, involve "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight of the Green Chapel", and "Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell". The story with the Green Knight involves Gawain exchanging blows with a Knight who can reattach his head after it has been cut off. It very much reminded me of an old Nordic tale I had read years ago but I can't remember the name of it. The story of the Lady Ragnell involved Sir Gawain marrying a cursed women in order to save Arthur life. The women looked grotesque during the day, but by night turned into a beautiful princess. (I'm certain this is also the story line the movie "Shrek" borrows upon.)

Sir Gareth, who is also known as the "Knight of the Kitchen", would be another of the greatest Knights at the table. He is Gawain's younger brother. After proving his worth as a Knight with some great battles against the Red, Blue, Green, and Black Knights, he eventually marries the Lady Linnet.

Sir Launcelot is the greatest Knight of the Round Table except for one. He is involved in many of the tales and does many great things. He was raised by the Lady Nimue who is the Lady of the Lake. He it is however that helps bring about the downfall of Logres with his love for Queen Guinevere.

Sir Bors De Gannis is a cousin of Sir Launcelot. He was one of the few who was allowed to proceed upon the quest for the Holy Grail and fights along side Launcelot in several of the tales.

Sir Tristram of Lyonesse is a Cornish Knight who is the son of King Mark of Cornwall. At times he also disguises himself as a minstrel named Tramtris. He it is the slays a dragon and falls in love with the fair Iseult from Ireland.

Later Sir Percivale of Whales is born. He is the son of Sir Gawain. He grew up in the woods, and did not see any other person in his life for fifteen years except for his mother. He to is one of the few Knights who were deemed worthy enough to attempt the quest for the Holy Grail, and falls in love with Blanchefleur who is the "Holy Cup bearer". A similar story to the one in which Percivale first meets Blanchefleur can also be found in one of the "Arabian Knights" stories called "Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess of China". In both stories they exchange rings to both show that they are not dreaming, and to further identify each other later when they meet again.

Galahad is Launcelot's son and the Holy Knight. He was raised by Naciens the Hermit of Carbonek. He is said to be the Greatest Knight of them all. I agree he may be the most noble, but besides his quest for the Holy Grail, his other conquests where great but seemed a little hollow in comparison with those already accomplished by Sir Lancelot. He seemed to have been raised for one purpose in life only, and that was to find the Holy Grail. The rest of his life doesn't seem to have much meaning to him which seemed kind of sad. (There were many comparison's to Jesus). He seemed to be a sacrificial lamb used to free the people from a curse and to return them into the light for a period of time.

There are many others named in this book, but the ones I've listed already are the ones you should focus upon while reading the book since they seem to be the ones involved in the majority of the individual tales.

Arthur then creates and Order of Chivalry and asks all of his Knights to live up to it: "All of you, and those who shall sit afterwards at this Table, are the Knights of Logres, and for the glory of Logres, the Realm of Righteousness do not ever depart from the high virtues of this realm. Do no outrage nor murder nor any cruel or wicked thing; fly from treason and all untruthfulness and dishonest dealing; give mercy unto those that seek it - or sit no more at this Table. And always give all help in your power to ladies and damsels, go out to succor gentlewomen and widows, turn from all else to right any wrong done to any women in the world - and never, on pain of death and eternal disgrace, do you any ill thing to a women, or suffer it to be done. Nor, for love or gain, fight in any quarrel that is not just and righteous."

Throughout the book Arthur's Knight's all then try to measure up to this Code of Chivalry, but even the best of them at times have trouble. Only Galahad the Holy Knight's morals proves to be beyond reproach.

At times throughout the book a few of the better Knights find their way to the mysterious Castle Carbonek that doesn't seem to be on any given map. It is here in one of the upper rooms of this Castle that the Holy Cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper is kept, along with the spear that the Roman Centurion Longinus used to pierce the side of Jesus while he hung on the cross. King Pelles who is an ancestor to Jesus' uncle Joseph of Armathea is the ruler of Castle Carbonek. Joseph of Armathea brought the Holy Grail to England and his descendants along with Naciens the Hermit have been the protectors of it ever since. Due to some curse however the Castle and the lands around it have fallen into ruin. Only one Knight will be worthy enough to hold the cup that seems to contain the light of God and free them from this curse. When any of these better Knights arrive at the Castle they are tested in some way. While at dinner a procession always seems to appear and proceeds around the table lead by a women caring the Grail, followed by the spear that pierced Jesus' side, and on certain occasions then followed by a candelabra which can hold seven candlesticks (I trust this was supposed to represent the seven tribes of Jerusalem). If the Knights at the table are not worthy they will fall asleep and be unable to see the Grail. A few prove worthy enough to see it and rise from the table to follow the procession, but still only one is worthy enough to hold it.

In the end all of Merlin's predictions come true. Once the majority of Arthur's Knights have either been killed or turned against each other, Arthur appears to be mortally wounded in the Last Battle by his cousin Mordred who is his sister Morgana le Fay's son. Morgana repents and turns good but it is too late. With her assistance however Arthur is placed on an enchanted ship and taken to Avalon. It is predicted that he will one day return. (The ending was very similar in the Lord of the Rings as well.)

It appeared that there were many other Knights who attempted the quest for the Grail, but Greene only seemed to have enough space in this book to cover the stories of the those who came the closest to achieving the goal. Since there were supposed to have been over one hundred and fifty Knights at the Round table at one point it would seem there are also several other tales that were told, but you will have to seek them elsewhere beyound this book. I believe Greene meant to use this novel just as a means to introduce the reader to the world that these tales are told in in order to peak the readers curiosity enought to have them go out and find the rest on their own. Here I believe he succeeds grandly.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Book by Roger Lacelyn Green
Book review by Eli Coon
5 Stars

The fairy tale compilation of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is an exciting fantasy adventure including some of the most famous stories such as The Quest of the Holy Grail, and The Lawn of the Red Knight. The collection was sequenced in an order that seemed logical for the character growth and the generations. Sadly, Roger Green feels the need to be extraordinarily explicit in his descriptions of the battles between knights. Some of the adventures that I enjoyed the most were, as I previously mentioned, The Quest for the Holy Grail and The Lawn of the Red Knight. In The Quest for the Holy Grail; Sir Percivale, Sir Galahad, and Sir Bors de Gannis must overcome the great temptation that is passed before them to prove themselves worthy to behold the Holy Grail from which Jesus Christ had drunk. They at last find themselves on a ship bound for the mysterious land of Carbonek, home of Carbonek and within, the Holy Grail. Sir Percivale meets a strange and familiar acquaintance carrying the sacred Grail. As Sir Percivale and his fellow knights go onward, the famed Sir Launcelot and his friend, Sir Gawain also find themselves at Carbonek; the some castle that the others are traveling to. Unfortunately, Sir Launcelot has a large misfortune and is not able to do the same as the sacred grail knights.
In the conclusion of this book, Launcelot and Arthur go to war over Arthur's wife Guinevere. Whilst they fight, Arthur's own cousin seeks to deprive him of the throne of Longres. In their feud, King Arthur is mortally wounded, and Mordred is killed. So King Arthur has to ....

This copy of the brought down story, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is by Roger Lancelyn Green. This book is the book that you must get for the holidays. This book has everything that a reader could ask for. The times were mischievous. Evil was waiting brake out through the cracks of the darkest parts. Morgana Le Fe, a woman educated in wizardry, who used her powers in the good. When the squire, Arthur went looking for a sword for his brother, Sir Kay, he came across a sword stuck in stone. Unaware of its power, Arthur pulled it out. Then England knew who their king was.Following the advice of Merlin, his wise counselor, Arthur created a round table for his knights. The knights went on quests, fighting evil and seeking the Holy Grail, Only the purist could see the Grail. This book is about many knights ` adventures. come up often or you'll see the chronicles of Merlin. The reason you may not see this book being reviewed because almost every American has read King Arthur. Some people do not like the mystical aspects in this book or the old English. There are battles with dragons and wizardry but that's the type of book it is. I recommend this book to families in America for it is not just a book your kids will enjoy but is also for the whole family. King Arthur is historical and adventurous. The battles are realistic and the writing is "encouraging" for it keeps, you the reader yearning to read on.

(By Don's daughter)

Just about everyone knows the basic story of King Arthur, but I'll sum it up just in case: When the king of England dies without an heir, his wizard friend Merlin sticks a sword into a stone and says that only the real king of England can pull it out. Only Merlin knows that the former king secretly had a son just before he died and hid him away with a noble family. This kid's name is Arthur. But since he's just a kid, a lot of the big, powerful guys don't want him to be king, so he has his work cut out for him for the next few years fighting them. Arthur wins eventually but is sickened by the way these men treat their subjects, so he starts this kind of police force called the Knights of the Round Table to keep everybody in line. It works wonderfully for decades, but the betrayal of one of Arthur's knights (several, really) brings his kingdom to an end- for now.

If you already knew all that and just skipped it, I'll get to why I like this version in particular. Roger Lancelyn Green knew exactly how to write for a young audience: he simplified the language but didn't wreck the natural adventure and beauty of the stories. For example, Arthur says when he's looking for a sword, "I know! I saw one sticking in an anvil in the churchyard, I'll fetch that: it's doing no good there!" Simple and to the point. Green didn't put in all those thees and thous, but he didn't dumb it down to the point where you feel stupid reading it, either.

Green also did a good job of inserting tales that are often overlooked because they don't feature anyone famous, don't have anything to do with the general story, or are found someplace else. I'd never heard the story of Geraint and Enid; this is the only version I've ever found it in. This was also the first place I'd ever been able to find the Quest of the Holy Grail in detail. T. H. White's The Once and Future King even said- and this is almost verbatim- "Don't look here for it; Malory has it." Compared to him, Green is a horse of a completely different color. (Get it? Because one's named White and the other's named . . . Oh? It's not funny? I thought it was. But never mind. Just pretend I never said that.)

Finally, Green didn't sweeten the ending. Yes, Arthur is betrayed. Yes, his wife loved one of his knights instead of him. Yes, the kingdom of Logres falls. These events aren't dwelled on to the point of depression and morbidity, but they are clearly stated. And the ending is still touching, just as it is when it's done the right way. There's also an interesting epilogue I've never seen before . . .

I have to say that this book isn't entirely perfect. It doesn't really act as one consistent story but a collection of short stories, and it can be hard to keep track of who's related to whom and things like that. There is also "a damsel" featured by no other name in nearly every story, and a lot of the names sound the same (Gareth, Gaheris, Gawain, etc.). But Green wasn't setting out to improve the legend of King Arthur, just to retell it. He followed the old stories and followed them well. No matter that this was written over 50 years ago. It's still a classic to me.

The Knights of the Round went through numerous adventures in their time. In the book, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, the author, Sidney Lanier, illustrated some of the knights' quests. Written from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d' Arthur, this novel has eight mini books on the Knights of the Round Table. From the "Coming of Arthur" to the "Passing of Arthur" Sidney Lanier depicted Arthur's knights such as Sir Lancelot du Lake, Sir Gareth of Orkney, La Cote Mal Taile, and Sir Tristram. There wasn't much conflict between the different knights, except for when they decided to joust.
This medieval book, written in third person, concentrates on the Knights of the Round Table, not as much on King Arthur. I highly recommend not reading this book because it doesn't have much conflict, so it isn't very interesting. For this reason, the book, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, is unique (because of the fact it doesn't have much conflict). This book should be read by people 13+ because of its unique words and ideas, and by people who are interested in learning more about King Arthur and his Knights.

King Arthur and His Knights of The Round Table provides readers with un-suspenseful retelling of the King Arthur story, from when Arthur was born until his departure to Avalon. Being fair, the book offers a classic mix of the tales of knights, not focusing on any single character longer then is necessary. It also blends favorite King Arthur stories, creating its own unique version of the Arthur story. However, the book displays consistently predictable stories with similar plots that will be just under a bore to readers. Also, while the vocabulary is not that of an adult book or extreme Old English, readers cannot relate to the old-fashioned way of speaking that the characters express; including slightly different word order and uncommon words (nouns and verbs alike) in our everyday language such as "smote," "damsel," "siege," "feasters," "hart," "brachet," and many more. Furthermore, most likely because the book is a retelling and not an original novel, the book does not show any character development throughout the story; neither the building of relationships between people nor the growing of inner strength in the individual main characters. This retelling only holds the interests of readers that very much enjoy or hold a curiosity in tales of knights, chivalry, and damsels in distress. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is recommended for children who wish to read the basic, bare-bones story of King Arthur.

King Arthur and his Brave Knights
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, were a whole bunch of different stories. They were how Arthur was raised and became king, how each of the knights came apart of the round table and how each of the went on their quest for the Holy Grail, and the departing of King Arthur and his kingdom.
The author, Roger L. Green, emphasized some differences to the original tale. For instance, Launcelot never loved Elaine. Elaine loved Launcelot very much but she was sad because Launcelot did not love her back. So Elaine went to Brysen who was a sorcerer and she made Elaine appear as Guinevere (Launcelot's love). When Launcelot saw Elaine that appeared as Guinevere he asked her to marry him and she said yes. The next morning when Launcelot saw Elaine in bed with him instead of Guinevere he went mad and started to live in the forest. Another change in the story was that the author called the Lady of the Lake, Lady Nimue. This book took place in the 6th century and the narrator is in 3rd person. The themes of the book were basically stories of each knight on their quest for the Holy Grail.
I would recommend this book to avid readers and people who enjoy fantasies. This reason because it is hard to understand some of the words are difficult to understand.

Enter into a world where knights battle for ladies fair of fortune and beauty, where power-hungry kings and lords fight for honour, glory and evil is always present to be ultimately vanquished by the noble King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. This book was my first exposure to the Old English pronouns as it appears in the King James Version of the Bible. This children's rendition of Sir Thomas Malory's epic "Le Morte D'Arthur" is an excellent and indispensable introduction to the timeless tome of chivalry, honour, love, lust, power, glory, honour and belief in God Eternal. I highly recommend this book & "Le Morte D'Arthur" (the Keith Baines rendition is most excellent).

Dozens of tales comprise the legend of King A. This author compiles about 23 and fashions them into a cohesive story, showing the rise of King A., the age of the glory of his realm, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the realm's fall. Most of the tales are episodic; they can stand on their own, as well as a functioning part of the legend. Everyone's favorite knights are here: Launcelot, Galahad, Gareth, Tristam, Percivale, evil Sir Mordred, and dumb Sir Kay. Also, the ladies: Queen Guin, Morgana le Fay, Enid, and Blanchefleur. My favorite Knight is Sir Gawain, and favorite tale is that of him and his Lady Ragnell. Well laid out, an easy read, and a good introduction to the courtly age.

I have read so many King Arthur books and can't keep track of which ones I read. But this one I remember being quite enjoyable. It includes numerous King Arthur tales some you may know others may be new to you. My personal favorite being "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". All I have to say is this is an enjoyable and adventurous read weather you have ever read about King Arthur before or not. After reading this your bound to be captivated and find yourself searching for more King Arthur tales! I recommend not only this book ,but the many other ones that are out there also. After reading this one check out "The Squire's Tale" by:Gerald Morris - It's a fun book about a boy,Terence, and the famous Sir Gawain(in which you are or will become familiar with if you read "King Arthur and His Knight's of the Round Table".

The Knights of the Round Table
By: Roger Lancelyn Green

The book King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table include numerous interesting stories. The author, Roger Green, did not only set Arthur on quests, but his knights too. From the adventure of the Green knight to the quest for the Holy Grail, this book keeps you entertained. The king Arthur and his knights were well known for their bravery and honorability. For example, Sir. Gawain kept his promise to the green knight to look for him in one year.
However, the old English and the number of characters in the many stories of this book become very confusing.
I rate this book five out of ten, because I enjoy more descriptive action stories rather than so much talking. I recommend this Arthurian novel to whoever enjoys stories rich in characters and dialogs.

This book was about how King Arthur's life supposedly was. He was born after King Uther tricked an enemy duke's wife into thinking that Uther was her husband. That child was given to Merlin, and he was un-christened, and was given to Sir Ector. He became a squire at his new home and had a bigger stepbrother to help. When the sword in the stone appeared, all the knights and noblemen around England appeared to try and pull it out, since the person who pulls out the sword in the stone is supposedly the king of all England. Throughout his life he encountered many people like Sir Lancelot of the Lake, who fell in love with his beloved wife, Guinevere, and also gave birth to a child with his half-sister when she disguised herself. He would later become a legend for all the things he had done during his life.
I read this book because I watched the movie from Disney called "The Sword in the Stone." It sparked my interest of knights and I was fascinated with the Middle Ages ever since. Then when I went to the library, this book was the only one about King Arthur that wasn't checked out, so I read this wonderful recount of the amazing life of Arthur.
I recommend this book to everyone above the age of 9. There are some "not so good for children parts" in this book. If you are a child who wants to read about King Arthur, then you should choose this book. If you want something that is easier, I suggest you not to select this book since it is kind of a hard book.

In the story of King Arthur many things happened that not many people knew about. The story started when Arthur was a boy. He lived with a group of knights. When Arthur is king he retrieves the Excaliber and creates the round table, but he was told that when his table holds 50 knights his kingdom would start to fall. One of his advisors lies and tells Arthur that one of his knights had kidnapped the queen, although the knight had only gone to see the queen. In the end when he is on his deathbed he told his men to take him to the lake where the famous Lady of the Lake lived, and there he lived for the rest of his life.
I chose to read this book because a friend had given it to me. I really like the medieval times because it is deep into fairy tales like dragons, wizards, and witches. I would love to read everything about the medieval times. When I started reading the book, it seemed to be a little boring, but as I continued reading, it became quite interesting.
My favorite part was when King Arthur went to the Enchanted Forest to seek the famous sword Excaliber. While traveling through the forest he finds the lake that held Excaliber. Then the Lady of the Lake came and told him about the sword. After retrieving the sword he fights his old enemy, Pellinor and mysteriously does not get hurt in the fight. This is when he finds out that the sword is so powerful that it can cut a piece of iron into two in one stroke. He also learned that the sheath that holds the sword allows anyone who holds it to never get wounded.

Adventures by the dozens....that is what you will have as you turn on this wonderful book on cassette! As a busy mom always on the go, my desire has always been to find creative ways to teach my children from the finest in classical literature. When we found King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in our library, I knew that this was a must! We borrowed it and borrrowed it and borrowed it and finally BOUGHT it! It is a favorite that you will not want to miss with your children! The recording is excellent...taking you into a time of long ago with heroes involved in adventures by the truckload! Do not miss this one!

Doing research for a novel I am working on, I picked up this book and purchased it for the background info on a particular knight. ... this is not an outstanding retelling of Arthurian legend.
Don't get me wrong, it's not exactly bad either. But it is not really suited for much other than research and background info. One of its problems is that it doesn't convey much emotion, sense of action, or anything else for that matter. The writing style is suitably mythologic, and it'll bore most younger readers (and even some older readers) straight into dreamland.
Normally that would gain it three stars, but there was another problem. If you are a Malory fan, you may want to read this more than I have. This book offers only a little more than Malory's legends--which lack the richness and fullness of the earlier legends, like Geoffrey of Monmouth or even the legends from before that. One point in its favor is that it does focus on various knights, instead of solely on the Camelot soap opera.
If you are seeking a generally-accepted Arthurian text for research or schoolwork, you may want this one. It isn't light reading, or even really counted as fiction.

I have loved the tales of Camelot since I was quite small. Due to this, several friends have asked me where they should begin. Over and over again, I recommend Green. His work is not majestic like Malory, but much easier to read and follow, especailly for a neophyte. Children love it, as do adults; this book gives the basic nobility of the tales, giving a good clue as to why they've been so popular for so long. Green also includes several tales of Sir Gawain, so he is not the near-felon he seems in several late medieval texts. The books is charming, moving, sad, happy, and everything else you could wish from Camelot. If you haven't read of Arthur before, begin here; if you want to remember why you loved these tales to begin with, read Green. He provides more than you would ever expect.

I say "possibly" because I am not familiar with many recent retellings of the King Arthur cycle, such as T. H. White's "Once and Future King" or the musical "Camelot." I have read, however, some of the older texts, such as "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," "Le Morte d'Arthur," and some of the tales of the "Mabinogion." Green's retellings are very excellent, though it is important to realize that they truly are retellings; that is, he uses a great deal of artistic license throughout the work. But most of it is well-done and necessary, due to the wide range of diverse sources that he used.

While Green's biggest influence is Sir Thomas Malory's work, he also takes bits and pieces from all sorts of Welsh, French, Middle English, and even German sources. Book Two, The Knights of the Round Table, is his real masterpiece, where only three of the eight stories come from Malory at all. I especially enjoyed his portrayal of Sir Gawain, returning to the characterization used in the English ballads and other works before he was supplanted by Lancelot and demonized by Malory. Yet Green is still able to reconcile Gawain's nobility with his role in the downfall of Logres. Overall this book is much closer to how I imagined Arthurian legend to be than Malory's fifteenth century volume.

Nonetheless, I find two notable faults in the work: first, Book Four, The Departing of Arthur, seemed a bit rushed. Although Green claims that he followed Malory "almost word for word," I felt like I was reading the Cliff's Notes to the final chapters of "Le Morte d'Arthur." More detail and a slower, more dramatic pace would have been nice. Second, Green makes Sir Mordred the son of Morgana le Fay instead of the illegitimate son of Arthur himself, as was the earlier tradition. The whole point of that fact was that the fall of Arthur's kingdom was partly caused by the mistakes that he himself had made in his youth. While Green carries over most of the profound moral lessons of the original stories, he leaves out this one. Overall, however, the book is well worth reading, whether you would like an introduction to King Arthur, or if, like me, you have been a bit disappointed so far with some of the tellings you already know.

I just don't remember it being so religious. Or violent. But it was still good. I had trouble keeping all the different names straight. The reader did a very nice job of changing voices for the different characters.

This book is full of adventures of the many Knights of the Round Table. The stories are in full detail of their quests to serve King Arthur and the people of Logres. It describes their victories as well as their defeats.
A moral the story teaches is that if we blind ourselves with what is wrong and sinful, we will not get to be our full potential. We learn this by watching how Sir Launcelot lives his life. He was the greatest Knight in the world and was admired by every damsel in the land. Sir Launcelot was supposed to be the Knight to recover the Holy Grail and he never does this, because he allows himself to be involved in a sinful relationship with Queen Guinevere, King Arthur's Queen.
My favorite Knight was Sir Galahad, who was Sir Launcelot's son. Sir Galahad alone was the only one worthy to drink from the Holy Grail.
The book has a great story and I recommend it to anyone who loves medieval tales.

I'm a nine year old girl and in the third grade. I would recommend this for 8 and over. I started reading King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table when I was 8. It is a very good book. There was lots of adventure. Morgana le Fay kept trying to stop Arthur, but he kept surviviing!! At the end of King Arthur And His Knights Of The Round Table,

Arthur is mortally wounded and nearly dies. Nobody knows what really happens to King Arthur Pendragon! Some say he went to the "Isle Of Avalon". Some say he died there. One part of the ending was pretty cheap! Throughout the book Morgana le Fay was bad, but at the end, she turned all nice and said to Arthur, "Ah,my dear brother,why have tarried so long from us? Alas,the wound in your your head has caught over-much cold" while she was crying. A person reading this will learns lots of information about King Arthur and his knights.

I bought this book just to add to my bookshelf. I didn't know it would be this interesting. This is a long tale of knights, lords, and ladies; wizards, and all sorts of folklore. It's a kind of book that you find yourself holding your breath, corssing your fingers for young King Arthur and his valiant, ever-loyal knights. Very interesting, and I highly recommend this book.

Review of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a very intriguing book where Roger Lancelyn Green takes a variety of folktales from medieval times and turns them into a book where they all fit together into one story.
Most chapters in this book are totally separate from one another. One chapter is about one knight the next chapter about another knight's adventure, and so forth. Yet the author makes all the chapters work together in the end.
For those with a mystical interest this book does not go into detail of witches or wizardry, but does include some. One is when Merlin creates the sword in the stone and also when Arthur is the only one who can pull it out.
I like this book because of the way it is written, the descriptions of people and things, and the content of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes medieval folklore, knights in shining armour, and damsels in distress.

This book is amazing! It helped me understand more about the snippets of stories I had heard about King Arthur. It was in depth, but not hard to understand the rise, glory, and fall of Camelot, along with the quests and adventures of all the other knights. The author's words engulfed me when I was reading, so I couldn't put it down! Even though this book was easy to understand, and truly captivating, I would not give it to anyone younger than fifth or sixth grade due to mature relationship elements in the story. Other than that, almost anyone would enjoy this fascinating book!

This was the first King Arthur book I ever had. In more recent years I've read Le Morte D'Arthur, the Mabinogion, Bulfinch's Age of Chivalry, and a hundred other collections, some for children and some for adults. This is still the best-written, most comprehensive version I've found.

It tends to read a little like King Arthur's Greatest Hits--no bad thing, really. The story of Geraint and Enid is in there from the Mabinogion, Germanic legends are plundered to discover a bride for Sir Perceval, and Gawain fans will be pleased to know that his spotless character has been restored. He even gets to find the Grail!

There are many other children's collections out there, but none of them as comprehensive as this. As for the old classics, they can be hard to get and, like Mallory's , do unforgivable violence to favourite characters and then spend half the book on the story of Tristan and Iseult.

I went to the library one day to get a book. I decided to get a book about the middle ages because we went on a field trip to Medieval Times. Then I Found the book called King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and I thought this book would be interesting.
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table was a very exciting book. Almost at every chapter someone's head was cut off. The book was very similar to the movie called Merlin, but the book is like the sequel to the movie because the movie ends with Merlin in the cave and in the book that happened early in chapter four.
My favorite part of the book was at the very end of the book. People thought King Arthur was dead but a shepherd person found a person who said there would be gold and silver in the cave next to the Hazel tree. The shepherd went into the cave and saw many knights sleeping and one king. The shepherd stepped back and hit a bell, which woke the king. The king asked if it was day. The shepherd said it was not day so therefore sleep on. The king said he would sleep once more until the day comes when he shall rise and bring victory to the people of Britain. The king told the shepherd to take as much gold and silver as he wants to before his knights wake. I thought this part was the best.

This is an excellent book for any child (or even an adult). The pictures are crisp and colorful. The stories are thrilling and heroic. I've been a fan of Arthurian tales since I was small, and when my child was small I bought this volume for her. She has since moved onto the more detailed version, but she always enjoyed the stories in this simpler version of Mallory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur'. Great way to introduce your young ones to that great piece of literature.

There ain't much left for me to say, if you didn't read the book yourself. But, for as far as I can judge the book, I'd give it four stars. Let's first introduce myself. My name is Heleen de Zeeuw and I'm a sixteen year old girl from The Netherlands. For my subject English I had to read an English book. I choose this one, cause I'd become interested in King Arthur when I saw the film 'First Knight'. I do say that (as far as I've read the book) I prefere the movie, but the book was good too. That's all folks!

A book so good you'll hear the clash of armor and the cries of knights. This book has just the right touch of everything of midevil times. From Arthur became king, to the creation of the round table, to the quest of the holy grail, and finally the departure of Arthur. Roger Lancelyn Green has nailed it again for a great book. This book should be read from 10 and up. Thats how great this book is.
Matthew Pearce

This book has the most thrilling example of medieval life than any other book that I have seen,or heard of!When I read this book,after only reading a few pages,I got hooked on it,and just couldn't seem to put it down!I hope other people will enjoy this book as much as I have.The book's descriptions of kings,knights,battles ,damsels,Lancelot,Guinevere, and most of all Arthur were wonderful!Even though I am only 12,I recomend this book to young readers everywhere!

(this next part of my review was written at a later date)

This was the first review I ever posted on the store, and it seems rather odd now, going back and looking over it...because I'm seventeen, five years have passed, and I still love this book. I suppose that's why I've read it twenty-eight times; I fell in love with it as a child and it stayed with me. And so, I still recommend it! If you're young, enjoy adventure, with a healthy splash of fantasy and faith, then you will enjoy this. That's my recommendation; maybe in another five years, I'll come back and add to it.

This book has definately captured the spirit of medieval times and chivalry. While reading, I felt like I knew King Arthur and each of his knights and had an immediate like or dislike fr each of them. There is no lack whatsoever of blood, traitors, or twists in the plotline. Definately one of my all-time favourites and contrary to other readers' points of view, I beleive that to really understand the story (or series of short stories amazngly tied into one novel) you must read the entire book.

Despite what the "Editorial Reviews" section of this page would lead you to believe this is *not* Roger Lancelyn Green's altogether superior version of the Arthurian Legends. The Illustrated Junior Library edition is a handsome book with pretty illustrations, but the text is virtually incomprehensible, even to a literate, educated adult, let alone kids. It is riddled with archaisms and convoluted grammar, and would turn any young kid off to the Matter of Britain in a heartbeat. Read them Green's version first. Buy and enjoy this edition only for the art - it is not going to get read much.

...this is an early Victorian era translation of the legend of Camelot. If you don't understand that style of speech, then don't bother with this. This particular version is also somewhat edited and you may find reasons to complain. For what it is, it works, however I prefer the Howard Pyle translation. That is the same price in the Kindle Store.

My mother gave me this book when I was six years old, and I fell in love immediately. It covers just about every classic Arthurian story, so it's a good introduction to the legends. The formal language is evocative of both the medieval period from which the stories come and the magical realm in which they take place. The woodcut illustrations have a 'stained-glass' look, and add to the atmosphere of the tales. Reading it, you feel that you are getting at the 'original' stories rather than a modern retelling; Green allows the quests and adventures to stand on their own, much as they exist in Malory or the medieval romances, without forcing his voice and version of events onto them. For this reason, I prefer it to other introductory collections of the stories. It's a classic, one that I've reread probably hundreds of times over the last twelve years.

Lanier has conducted his job of editor superbly well. Malory's original text can be confusing at times, as the plot has a tendency to be submerged under incidental detail that may well have interested a medieval reader, but which can too easily send a modern audience into "filtering mode". This is a problem that Lanier appears to have identified and to have conscientiously avoided.
Also, and no less importantly, Lanier has avoided falling into the trap of "retelling" the tales. Malory's language is his own; Lanier has simply updated the spelling. As such, the full power of the work is allowed to be transmitted through the text.
The result of this synthetic approach - adherence to the meat and style of the original work, combined with the skillful editing of the less germane sections - results in a superbly crafted edition of Le Morte Darthur. I grew up in Britain where I was exposed to many versions of the tales, and yet I have always regarded Lanier's edition, intriguingly illustrated by Florian, to be the most accessible and definitive work.

I use this text as one of the "novels" that I teach in my British Literature high school class. Although the reading level is listed as ages 9-12, it works well at this level because some of the vocabulary is antiquated (smote, damsel, scabbard, jerkin, etc.) It is a very good translation of Le Morte D'arthur, and Roger Lancelyn Green has done a tremendous job of condensing the volumes of stories in that work into this selection.

There are illustrations as well to help students visualize what is happening. Unfortunately, as we become more geared to "viewing" stories on a screen, the skill of imagination in our children is greatly compromised, so pictures help them see the story. This version accomplishes that task, even though the pictures are simply black and white.

For readers who enjoy quest stories and legends, this is wonderful choice.

The Roger Lancelyn Green version for King Arthur is an excellent Arthur version for beginners. I read this book for one of my classes at my school(Belen Jesuit Prep.)My teacher is an Arthur fanatic. He also got my whole grade involved in Arthur with this book. My favorite tale is The Last Battle. The only bad thing is that King Arthur and the realm of logres comes to such a tragic end.

The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights is a poetically written and interesting book. Sir James Knowles provides a fascinating view into Medieval life and politics through his account of the adventures of King Arthur and his knights, while also providing excellent stories.

Fun kids version of the knightly version of Arthur.

Green here puts together some of the major components of the Arthurian legend in its knights, armour and wizards version to make it accessible to younger readers, and does rather a good job it.

Lots of good stuff here for the younger crowd.

As a teacher, and Arthurian Legend enthusiast, I have found these tales applicable to both middle, and high school students. Timeless stories of chivalry and honor accurately retold by Green excited students, who devoured chapter after chapter of guts and gore, evenly balanced with heroic knightly deeds. In the end students wanted more, and sought other titles independently. Note: TH Lawrence's Sword in the Stone is not an ample substitue. Students found it to be trite, childish, and laborious. It does however demonstrate how authorial interpretation of original plotlines can make or break a story. This book is worth the money.

Inspiring tales of chivalry and adventure. Should be required reading for young bays and men of all ages. Sorely needed in this age of TV and video games. Make your sons read it and shut off the TV and video games.

The story King Arthur, which was written by Roger Lancelyn Green, is a truly exhilarating adventure set in the middle ages, and it contained many fascinating characters such as King Arthur, who was the king of Logres and who was one of the most important characters in the story; another character is Lancelot who was one of the best Knights of the round table and went on many quests, bringing much honor to Logres, and was quite important through out the book; another character would be Queen Morgana le Fay, she was not only a witch, but also the sister and nemesis of King Arthur, she often tried to capture or kill him and his knights, but in the end she makes peace with him; last but not least is Merlin, he is one of the best know characters, he is a wizard who saves King Arthur life twice, and foretells the future many a time; eventually he is buried alive by Lady Nimue until he is needed once again.

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table was a collection different quest within one larger story, mainly telling the history or King Arthur and how the knights of the round table came to be, and there many legends; the majority of the book was sort of like the exposition, it was getting us accustomed to the characters and the vibe of the story so that the reader could get understand the end of the book when they searched for "The Quest of the Holy Grail" and the "Final Battle" which are the two main conflicts. This book is so good, because anyone can take something away from this book, R.L. Green's stories all have a theme to them whether it is about jealousy, integrity, kindness, forgiveness, or honor, the lesson of chivalry is always stressed, and there is always something for the reader to relate to making the book overall very satisfying.

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is the best book i`ve ever read! Right when you`re done you`ll hear swords banging together in your head! It`s from King Arthur being crowned king all the way to saving Camelot and the last battle of the land of Logres. I highly recommend it.

I just love legend and mythology intellectually as an adult, and this collection provides a way that my 11 year old son and I can live into the stories together. This collection presents the stories in all their rich complexity but told in a simple and beautiful way that makes for perfect read aloud with children material. We also loved the Grimm's Fairytales from the same collection. The books themselves are beautiful and have a built in ribbon book mark. Its the little things that matter sometimes.

I never start anything that l don't

finish. This book was not written very good. There were several paragraphs in pages to were repetition. However l did finish the book, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

This a great book for kids. My favorite parts are when Arthur takes the sword from the stone and when Arthur marries Guin. Those parts were awesome! I believe you should buy this book for you and your kids. :-)

King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles is a nicely illustrated and approachable version of some of the Arthurian legends, with the younger reader in mind.

i.e. Have cool pictures of guys in armor with swords to go along with the writing. As far as that goes, reasonably well done.

After seeing the copyright of 1953 I know this is the book I read as a child that introduced me to the legend of Arthur. I am now purchasing a copy for my nephew's 12th birthday. I hope that reflects my feelings on the book. I feel this is a wonderful, if very simplified, introduction to the ideals of chivalry & integrity that can make the world a much better place if only more would aspire to them.

I learned lots of things by reading this Awesome book!!!! It was also very interesting!!
Some of the words were difficult, but if you tap on them, the kindle gives you a definition!!!!! Which is great!!!!

Camelot is currently one of my obsessions. So I read this in the hope that it might be more historically relevant than some of the fantasy series I've been reading. It isn't. I'd rather tackle Mallory head on. Personally, I think Lancelot And The Wolf, the Knights of Camelot, captures the essence of Arthur, Lancelot and co with much more verve and vigour. It is certainly more entertaining. I'm sorry but I was disappointed by this book.

I have read many versions of the Arthurian legends, and revisited them again in three different books recently. Of those, this version was the best. It was compiled from several different sources, and manages to flesh out some of the legends of the lesser knights and Merlin the Enchanter more than many versions.

Despite being a Puffin Classics edition, it does not condescend to the reader, nor read as a diluted telling, as is so often the case in educational publishing. If you are looking for a clean, coherent telling of the Arthurian tales that won't require wading through archaic language, this is the version for you.

The paperback pricing is nice too.

Dear Reader, The novle that I read, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, by Roger Lancelyn Green, tool place in England during the Middle Ages. In this book, knights from the court of King Arthur, like Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain would travel on quests to achieve fame. Each one of the quests were seemingly important, but when the word got out that the Holy Grail had been seen in their area, all of the knights went in search of it. This then became the main part of the book. I didn't enjoy this book very much because it was violent and gory. The novel was also repetitive. At first it was interesting, but after a while the story was just the same thing over and over. A knight would travel on a quest and battle to save a maiden. Then the knight and the maiden would get married and live happily ever after. As you can tell it was quite repetitive. Whenever these knights would go on their quests they would battle and kill other knights. I didn't enjoy these because the book went into great detail to describe the battles and deaths. The book would say things like, "At once Sir Gryflet drew his sword and smote off the knight's head. It fell into the moat and the water around it turned red as the head sank to the bottom." I think that things like that are to gory and violent for a childrens book. Overall I would advise you not to read this book because many parts were violent and repetitive. Sincerely, Missy Neville

King Arthur and his knights of the round table was not the book for me. This is a historical fiction book . I like books with a bit more action but if you like a historical book you can get into this book!

I really like Rosemary Sutcliff's books, including her Arthurian
trilogy; however, I prefer Green's King Arthur because, for me,
it captures the sense of dread and awe that hangs over the
legends so well. The illustrations are very nice, as well. For my money this is a first-rate rendition.

Usually I don't finish books (especially this thick) but once you get into those dramatic parts of the story (I love drama) you'll be hooked ,I know I was.......anyway the beginning was kind of boring at first.....but it's not like you can read the middle and end and still understand the whole novel. Overall, though, the book was phenomenal! ;)

I read King Aurthur and his Knights of the Round Table this summer and I found it to be genuinely interesting. Each step to reaching the height of Logres was well worded and every story allowed me to picture exactly what was happening in my head. Although I thought the ending was sad, it did not take away from the novel as a whole and I would recomend it to anyone who enjoys mythical stories.

King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table is a very interesting book to read. I really think you should read this book. The book has a very interesting story line. Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawain are one of the best relationships in the book. Somewhere in the book there is a traitor and a conflict that will be a trial for the table. This book is a very interesting book make sure not to miss a page.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a version of the classic legends, constructed by Roger Lancelyn Green. The story is set in Britain in the early medieval period. It has an odd and somewhat confusing mixture of English and French origination, as it is set in Britain (and the story of King Arthur is generally considered a British legend); yet the author explains that the stories initially came from old French sources, which is reflected in some names of people and places.

The book follows the complete life of King Arthur, from before his birth to the time when he is mortally wounded and disappears. The middle is like a collection of short stories, mostly about King Arthur's various knights and each with their own plot; yet the stories are all part of a bigger picture and plot--mainly, the quest of King Arthur's evil half-sister, Morgana le Fay, to destroy his kingdom; and later, the quest of the mysterious Holy Grail. However, all suspense is spoiled as the good magician, Merlin, who helps Arthur in the beginning of the book, tells Arthur several times about all sorts of things that will happen later.

Although it is overall an enjoyable story, some details are inaccurate, confusing, or outdated. For example, in the book there are several instances where men are made knights spontaneously, on the spot, whereas really this was a process which took more time and was done more carefully. Another example is that several knights are described as "the best of all knights, except for..." (or something very similar), resulting in a complicated and confusing hierarchy of knights. Besides this, there are mentions of places and holidays, such as "Michaelmas," that are unheard-of in modern times.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a unique mixture of Magic and God, chivalry and scandal, treachery, and most of all, adventure. It will transport you into another world, where anything is possible.

A great book I hae read it three times and I am going to read it again. He brings King Arthr to life with skill and beauty. None other could have done finer. It tells the story of the greatest and noblest king of Logres. And the quests that befalls him. This book is like no other. Spectacular!

I had to overcome having read one too many retellings of these tales in reading this book.
I think the major flaw is taking the late middle ages Christian approach.
On the plus side the author pretty much sticks to the classic story lines and even puts in the Tristam legend
(his undoing here as the Cornwall Kingdom is where Arthur's mother conceived him, not a a place out of time ).
He changes Vivian to Nimue and calls magic the deceptions of Merlin and Morgan le Fay making everything as the Christians of later times would have it.

this book is amust read for anyone who wants to learn about king arthur or just for fun. i was immediately hooked when i got to the third page. im already over fifty percent done and i started yesterday at seven pm.

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In my opinion, this wasn't too good of a book (I don't like any King Arthur stories that much, but this was one I would recommend to any King Arthur fan from 10 to 15 years old.) If, like me, you have a great vocabulary, this makes it easier to understand, but more boring and repetitive. In EVERY chapter there are the following: a "fair damsel," an evil knight, and some bloodthirsty crazy wiggum that rides around in an 80 pound steel suit and smites evil villain's heads off. Then there is the end. I don't understand it, because throughout the story, Morgana Le Fay tries to kill Arthur as soon as he steps out of Camelot. At the end, when Arthur is on the boat going to Avalon (what kind of name is that??)to be healed from grievous wounds, she turns into a "Dear brother, your wounds are so grievous!" kind of person. Where did that come from? My recommendation: Only people who adore King Arthur in any form should read this book because it can get kind of boring.

This is a classic story, but I would definitely recommend an older reader enjoying this. Even if reading this to a child, the wording is old english and unfamiliar to some readers. To make the story understandable, I needed to stop and explain the story at times.

I do not understand why it these stories of King Arthur and his knights have been dubbed a "children's classic". This thing is non stop bloody violence, beginning to end. War is glorified, men are measured by how many they have killed, heads are split in half (this seems to be the favorite method), guts spilled, villages burned and sacked, entire cities starve to death under Arthur's sieges, gruesome suicides by several women who just couldn't live without their man, countless incidents of, "I don't like your words so I'm going to kill you!" etc, etc, etc. Every conflict between two people, or countries, is solved through terrible, gory violence. Through all this Arthur and his men are the heros because they kill more men than anyone else in all the world.

Maybe I'm too modern, maybe I'm being a bit too politicly correct, but I don't believe this is good for children. Young adults, sure. After a child is old enough, after they understand enough about history, war, and have a definite grasp on what is real and what is simply a story. I bought this for my children and I always read things first, both so I will be able to discus it with them, and to be sure it is okay for them to read. I have decided that this book is not appropriate for children.

I hope this will help anyone who is considering buying this book for a child as a gift, thinking it to be a bit of a fairy tale, a legend, and nothing more. Do you want to give these ideas to your kids: When someone makes us angry it is right and glorious to attack them with weapons; if a woman loses her lover it is normal for her to be so grieved and incapable of caring for herself that she would commit suicide; that countries who disagree have a right to slay civilians as a method of getting their way; that the more people a man is able to overpower through brute force the better a man he is; and most of all, that God not only approves of these things but actually adores and rewards violence in His name?

This is interesting and even humorous reading for an adult, or a mature teenager. The humor coming in the form of the violence being so over done that visions of Monty Python dance in your head. The language is eloquent and a challenge to read. If antiquated language is what you are looking for I would suggest "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" by Howard Pyle, a book with its own share of violence, but unglorified, and with a lesson, a moral.

the story is very interesting. i really liked it. but god, those thee, thy and thou thingy is making me dizzy. ugh. how i wish to find a more easy-to-read and more simple and modern version of this. :))

Teaching middle school age students I am surprised there is solittle to offer in reading about King Arthur and the Knights of theRound Table. Any writer should know by now that to interest a child,or any reader for that matter, dialogue must be foremost on a writer'smind. This book was boring, offered little conflict and almost nodialogue. What do writers think children are reading now a days? Andhow can one even hope to begin to spark a young mind's interest in ourliterary history if this is what is set before them to learn from?Don't bother reading this, unless you need to fall asleep, quick.

I read this book for English class,it was required. I suppose if you were a really good reader, and were into the old mythilogical tales, you would really enjoy this book. When i read this i got sooo lost it was just to "scattord" In one seen K.A. is here then the next he is in war, then some person dies. I just feel enless you are really interested in the book,or the idea should you read it. Under my reccomentaion, don't waste your time when there are MILLIONS of other good books out there. Hey!, its all up to you...

This book was the worst!!! I usually enjoy reading books, but I didn't enjoy one little microscopic segment of this book!!! It was really hard to understand, and it felt like that all Roger Lancelyn Green cared about was death!! I mean really in one chapter I counted that 12 people died!!! In one single chapter!!!!!