Customer Reviews

In Search of History: The Knights of Camelot

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If you're looking for a historical or archaeological exploration of the King Arthur legend, then this History Channel production will disappoint. This is more of a literary exploration of the Arthurian legend based on the works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson and also Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur (Norton Critical Editions). Several historians and an editor of Arthuriana weigh in with their opinions on questions such as "Was the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot the catalyst that brought the downfall of Camelot?", "Was Guinevere a tragic victim of circumstances or a lady with no moral scruples?", "Was Arthur a sad figure?", etc. The production claims to separate fact from fiction, but the claims are not heavily supported with historical or archaeological evidence. One segment explores whether Arthur was born in Glastonbury, Tintagel, or whether he was proclaimed heir upon successfully retrieving Excalibur from the stone. There is no compelling evidence either way. I do like many of the History Channel's productions, but this is definitely one of the weaker ones.