The Arthurian Handbook (Second Edition) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Geoffrey Ashe (Author), Debra N. Mancoff (Author) "King Arthur is the central figure of one of the most famous cycles of legend..." (more)
Key Phrases: fluctuating warfare, superbus tyrannus, cave legend, King Arthur, Round Table, Middle Ages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Praise for the previous edition: The ultimate reference on the subject." -- AB Bookman's Weekly

A very attractive book. [It] will be a welcome addition to both library and classroom. As a companion to the more ambitious New Arthurian Encyclopedia, the handbook will prove useful to both beginning Arthurian scholars, in search of a novel research path, and to literature and history teachers trying to construct interdisciplinary Arthurian courses. It has, as they say, a little something for everyone.
–The Medieval Review

Attractive to anyone interested in the entire scope of the Arthurian tradition. In revising the original edition, the authors have wisely chosen to enhance rather than change. The result is that it is even more useful, specially for students, than the first edition.
–Arthuriana

Carefully edited and produced...belongs in every Arthurian library.
–Quondam et Futurus

Praise for the previous edition: The ultimate reference on the subject.
–AB Bookman's Weekly

Praise for the previous edition: The ultimate reference on the subject.
–AB Bookmans Weekly

The Arthurian Handbook is the reference resource book for students of the Arthurian mythos....fascinating volume....fully updated chronology and many fine new illustrations.
–Wisconsin Bookwatch

Product Description

Everything you ever wanted to know about King Arthur and his knights is covered in this fascinating volume: the origins of the Grail legend, the Tristan and Isolde love story in opera and literature, Spielberg's use of Arthurian motifs in Star Wars , the depiction of Arthur in paintings, the presentation of Camelot on the Broadway stage, the twitting of the legend in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and much more.
This critical survey of Arthurian history and legend, archaeology, literature, and the arts from the fifth century to the present provides an introduction for the general reader and a useful summary for the specialist. It offers both historical facts and key discussions on Arthurian subjects, from post-Roman Britain to the most recent novels and films. There is a lengthy glossary of Arthurian characters, motifs, and places, a chronology of major historical and literary items, a guide to pronunciation, and a full bibliography.
What's new in the Second Edition:All the material has been revised and updated to 1996 since the original 1988 edition; The chapter on modern literature has been thoroughly revised, with new material on writings from France, Germany, England, and America; The coverage of King Arthur in the arts has entirely rewritten by one of the premier authorities in Arthurian studies. Brand-new geneological charts of the ancestry of Arthur and his family and the Grail kings and knights.; A fully up-to-date chronology; Many new illustrations.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2nd edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815320817
• ISBN-13: 978-0815320814
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #385,875 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #31 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Arthurian Legends
  #50 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Arthurian Romance
  #97 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > Medieval

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent survey of Arthurian literature for scholars, August 15, 2002

By	D. W. Casey (Sturbridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want to know about the evolution of the Arthurian legends, from their basis in history to their literary evolution, this is a perfect book for you.

The book traces the history of tales through the most ancient works from Wales and Brittany, through the evolution of the stories by various authors -- Chretien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Thomas Malory, and even considers works from the nineteenth and twentieth century (Tennyson, the marvelous though largely unread works of Charles Williams, T.S. Eliot, T.H. White, and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

The book is an indispensable reference for keeping the legends straight in your mind, especially where there are differences of opinion (for instance, was the Grail a platter, a stone, or a chalice for the author).

The book is intended as a reference book, so it is not for someone looking to read a story or two -- it is meant to be a guide to understanding the literary development of the cycle.

As such, it is an indispensable guide to the various works out there.