World of King Arthur and His Court: The: People, Places, Legend, and Lore [Paperback]

Kevin Crossley-Holland (Author), Peter Maloney (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Sifting through both literary and historical sources, Kevin Crossley-Holland illuminates the essential aspects of King Arthur's chivalrous world. Here, in a stunning full-color trade paperback for the first time, are stories about the sword Excalibur and Mordred, King Arthur's villainous son; the enchanters Merlin, Nimue, and Morgan le Fay; Lancelot and Guinevere; the daily lives of knights and ladies and pages; the meaning of quests and the search for the Holy Grail; Welsh myths and medieval romances; and much more. A Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book for Children and a Publishers Weekly Best Book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Liberally studded with sophisticated paintings and miniatures, this comprehensive trove of Arthuriana will delight young readers with a taste for history. Crossley-Holland (Storm) utilizes an encyclopedia-like format, devoting a few pages to "Knights, Knighthood and Chivalry," a spread to "The Thirteen Treasures of Britain," a page to the Crusades, etc. He introduces key characters, describes daily life for lords and ladies and their servants; he quotes Chaucer on outfitting a knight, and gives lessons from the Book of Nurture on being a proper butler ("Never huff and puff bad breath up your master's nose"). The eminently browsable structure meets its match in Crossley-Holland's dramatic prose style: "Powerful and attractive, mysterious, vulnerable, and vengefulAlike lake waters, the Lady of the Lake is all of these things." Elsewhere, he describes Geoffrey of Monmouth's History as "a kind of best-selling, patriotic, historical novel." Malone (The Magic Flute) borrows medieval and Renaissance subjects and compositions, but while his palette is rich with blues and greens and golds, his sensibility is definitely contemporary, particularly his use of space. Lavish with detail, both his full-spread paintings and his spot illustrations are ripe with mystery and romance. If ever a book could ignite a passion for Camelot, this is it. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-The perennial fascination with the stories of King Arthur and his knights dates from the early Middle Ages and continues to the present. In this volume, Crossley-Holland has gathered bits of the legends and pieces of medieval writing to immerse readers in images from the Matter of Britain. He begins with short essays on knighthood, chivalry, and Geoffrey of Monmouth, the 12th-century Welsh priest who first wrote of Arthur, but there is no clear organization to the rest of the volume. Gawain, Guinevere, Lancelot, Mordred, and Merlin all have a few pages devoted to them, interspersed with essays that cover food and clothing, the Crusades, courtly love, etc. All are profusely illustrated in bright color with full-page pictures or page decorations. Occasional snippets of medieval writing such as carols, poems, or "how to" advice on dressing a lord or serving as a butler lend variety to the writing, but seem to be placed randomly throughout the text. The last piece discusses the difficulty of uncovering the "Historical Arthur," a figure from a much earlier time than the stories that place him in the medieval period. An index aids in finding specific pieces. This volume serves as a companion to any version of the stories, for those who want to sort out characters and for background information as they read.
Connie C. Rockman, Stratford Library Association, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525473211
• ISBN-13: 978-0525473213
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,622,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King Arthur Lives....., February 17, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World of King Arthur and His Court: People, Places, Legend, and Lore (Hardcover)

For those entranced by the magical stories of King Arthur, Excalibur, the Sword in the Stone, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table, Kevin Crossley-Holland has written the quintessential book detailing the life and times of this charismatic hero and his court. Beautifully and painstakingly researched, and rich in history, trivia, fun facts, anecdotes, and legend, Mr Crossley-Holland brings medieval England and Camelot to life. Hear the many stories, among them Merlin, The Sword in the Stone, the Lady of the Lake, Sir Mordred, Marie de France, and Morgan le Fay. Learn the ways of the court and castle life, dressing, arms and armor, tournaments and tilting, love, quests and adventures, magic and magicians, troubadours, art, and so much more. His engaging and entertaining text is enhanced by Peter Malone's marvelously vivid artwork, and together these two transport the reader back in time to the enchanting world of chivalrous knights, lovely and fair maidens, and evil villains. Perfect for young lovers of the Arthurian legend, 12 and older, who have begun to ask the hard questions..."Did King Arthur exist? Was there really a court called Camelot? Where exactly was Arthur's kingdom? When did he rule? And what was he like?" Kevin Crossley-Holland gives the definitive answer..."To begin with, we scarcely need to know. When we first meet Arthur, we are caught up in a long dream we hope will never end." The legend lives. Believe and Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The magic and romance of King Arthur and his court., September 29, 2000

By 

Nancy K. Jacobson (Lakeland, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World of King Arthur and His Court: People, Places, Legend, and Lore (Hardcover)

The World of King Arthur is an outstanding companion book for anyone interested in the Arthurian legends. The beautifully written entries explain the who, what, when and where of the Arthurian world.,(like, the difference between the sword-in-the stone and Excalibur, or what is known of the historical Arthur.) Also, scattered through the book are delightful nuggets like Kiss Me, How to be a Butler, Verb that Carving, In the the Midnight Garden. Translated from original sources they are wonderful windows into the medieval world. The illustrations are rich, inventive and instinctive. An absolutely gorgeous book, a delight to read and to look at, a must for Arthur fans.

8 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT Appropriate for Children, September 8, 2004

By 

Mom at Home - See all my reviews

This review is from: World of King Arthur and His Court: The: People, Places, Legend, and Lore (Paperback)

This book uses language that is not suitable for children. Defintely not G. It repeatedly talks about taking lovers and making love and the poem "In a Midnight Garden" just does not belong in a children's book. The publisher, editors, reviewers, etc. really need to inform you before you buy a book. The illustrations are great and the layout of the book is terrific. I planned to use it as reference to look up King Arthur lore that appeared in other literature we are reading but it simply is not suitable for kids under the age of high school (if that). I'm sending it back.