Realms of the Round Table

by John Matthews, John Boorman (foreword), John Howe (illustrator)

The most influential and famous legend in literature retold for a new generation by one of the world’s leading Arthurian experts and illustrated by internationally acclaimed Tolkien artist, John Howe.

From the moment when an obscure Celtic hero named Arthur stepped upon the stage of history sometime in the 6th century, he gave birth to a literary phenomenon that is still hugely popular. From a few oral tales and traditions concerning the life and deeds of this man, circulating throughout Europe from the 7th century onward, sprang a vast edifice of stories about 'King' Arthur and his noble knights.

Today there can be few people who have not heard how the boy Arthur drew the Sword from the Stone, or of the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, or how the knights rode out in search of the Holy Grail. Realms of the Round Table sets out to offer an extensive selection from these forgotten tales.

Here, there will be a rich mix of Arthurian love stories and darker tales from the Forest; readers will experience a heady mixture of magic, faerie lore, wisdom, and mystery, capturing stories of some of the great knights and others less well known, and reaching from high adventure to mystical accounts of the Grail. Several of the stories have not appeared anywhere in the English language, and all will surprise and capture anyone who has ever been enchanted by tales of Camelot.

Genres: Fantasy, Arthurian, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 22, 2025

About the author

John Matthews is an historian, folklorist and author. He has been a full time writer since 1980 and has produced over ninety books on the Arthurian Legends and Grail Studies, as well as short stories and a volume of poetry. He has devoted much of the past thirty years to the study of Arthurian Traditions and myth in general. His best known and most widely read works are ‘Pirates’ (Carlton/Atheneum), No 1 children’s book on the New York Times Review best-seller list for 22 weeks in 2006, ‘The Grail, Quest for Eternal Life’ (Thames & Hudson, 1981) ‘The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom’ (Element, 1994) and ‘The Winter Solstice’ (Quest Books, 1999) which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year. His book ‘Celtic Warrior Chiefs’ was a New York Public Library recommended title for young people.

Reviews

[Κεσκίνης Χρήστος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλή προσθήκη, για κάθε βιβλιοθήκη. Πάντα η ιστορία του Αρθούρου ήταν από τις αγαπημένες μου, και εδώ έχουμε μια συλλογή μύθων γνωστών και λιγότερο γνωστών του Βασιλιά του Κάμελοτ και των Ιπποτών της Στρογγυλής Τραπέζης. Τα σχέδια του John Howe δίνουν ακόμη περισσότερα στο βιβλίο και θα ήθελα να το αποκτήσω και μόνο γι αυτά. Να ωραία ιδέα για μετάφραση στα ελληνικά. ακούτε εκδοτικοί;