Ebook: King Arthur in legend and history

King Arthur has enjoyed greater glory, both at home and abroad, than any other British hero. But with this glory have come the myths and legends, causing many people to question whether Arthur really existed. In this fascinating book Richard Barber separates the man from the myth by examining the scanty literary and archaeological evidence on Britain in the fifth century ad. Out of the obscurity of this period appears the mysterious Ambrosius Aurelianus, who was possibly the inspiration behind the Arthurian legends.

Arthur has emerged as a national hero who, it is believed, will return to lead his country when in peril. Thus the Arthurian legends take on historical significance, for interest in Arthur seems to increase in times of national crisis. Richard Barber has traced the development of this folk-lore from the twelfth century, when Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote of Arthur as the Emperor hero of a lost golden age, to his portrayal as the flower of chivalry by Malory and Tennyson.