The romances of the Knights of the Round Table bring to life a rich & mythical age, a time of chivalry & magic long before our times -- an age in which the Vale of Avalon, shrouded in mist, was home... This description may be from another edition of this product.
The 1995 edition states on its copyright page that "Arthurian Legends of the Middle Ages" was first published in 1871 as "Popular Romances of the Middle Ages." That matters, if you would rather not read a book written in exquisite high-Victorian academic English with an Introduction that runs to page 80. Co-author George William Cox, M.A. (New York), a prolific writer on historical and biblical themes, received several fine book reviews in Harper's Magazine in the 1870s and 1880s. Arthurian legends from the Dark Ages returned to favor in the Middle Ages, during the twelfth century reign of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, to serve the first Plantagenets' need for dynastic propaganda. The best bards, poets and troubadours of the age expended their talents to create, build on and transform the old tales. Fast forward to the nineteenth century: Cox, with Eustace H. Jones (one review in Harper's, 1880) have actually crafted a wonderful compendium of Arthurian tales for modern researchers who need their legends expressed and written with historical sources served in fine classical detail. This book may not be for general readers but might be excellent for thesis-related or scholarly work. (That was how I used it.) The excellent Contents page breaks even the 80-page Introduction into easily-found subject areas, while the Index is generous in its Victorian precision and extent. Robert Fripp, author, "Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine"
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