Concepts of Arthur: Early Arthurian Tradition and the Origins of the Legend My own contribution to paper-based Arthuriana, this book provides a detailed and full analysis of every aspect of the early Arthurian legend. To learn more about it, follow this link:
	In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past by Michael Wood, 352 pages. Wood is, as Amazon.com says, a "popular television historian". He is also, however, a remarkably perceptive critic and the author of academic articles. His latest book includes thoughtful chapters on Robin Hood, King Alfred and Glastonbury/Avalon, amongst other topics. It also includes a fascinating piece on King Arthur, which goes beyond his earlier work on the topic and in which he seems to independently reach almost identical conclusions to Dr Padel with regards to the battle of Badon. All in all a superb book which manages to be both entertaining and scholarly.
	An Age of Tyrants: Britain and the Britons, A.D. 400-600 by Christopher Snyder, 320 pages. A superb, comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of recent historical and archaeological research into post-Roman/'Arthurian' Britain, this is an absolutely essential volume for anyone who has even the slightest interest in this topic. The discussion of the use of terms such as tyranni is particularly illuminating, whilst the survey of archaeological work will be especially valuable to those without access to either a university library or Dr Snyder's earlier B.A.R. volume. The author is a noted expert on the period and a professor at Marymount University, and his text is refreshingly free from the inaccuracies and flawed methodologies (particularly with regards to written sources) which mar many 'amateur' books on 'Arthurian period' Britain. Indispensable.
	Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature by Oliver Padel, 137 pages. This volume does suffer from the general deficiencies of the Writers of Wales series, that is a lack of an index and footnotes. However, the quality of the contents far outweigh any such minor quibbles. 'Arthur in Medieval Welsh Literature' is, as far as I am aware, the first real attempt to subject the whole body of non-Galfridian Welsh Arthurian literature to systematic analysis, and it succeeds superbly at the task. Some of the researches of Dr Padel will probably be already familiar to readers from my 'The Historicity and Historicisation of Arthur', and this volume does indeed summarise his work on the historicity of Arthur. However Padel's main focus here is on the concept of Arthur in native Welsh literature, tradition and legend, rather than history. This is an essential book for anyone interested in the Welsh Arthurian legend, and this and the following two books taken together will give a fairly comprehensive view of the legend.
	The Arthur of the Welsh: The Arthurian Legend in Medieval Welsh Literature edited by Rachel Bromwich, A.O.H. Jarman and Brynley F. Roberts, 310 pages. This is almost certainly the most significant single volume ever published on the Welsh Arthurian legend in the medieval period. It is impossible to praise enough: its supreme importance can be readily gauged from the numerous references made to it in the articles published on this website. It is, like 'Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages' which it was designed to partially replace, a collaborative work, bringing together scholarly articles on every conceivable aspect of the 'Arthur of the Welsh' from some of the leading authorities in the world on these topics. Indeed, the Introduction (by Bromwich, Jarman, Roberts and Huws) is on its own more valuable than most articles and books on the Welsh Arthurian legend! Finally, special mention should be made of the Index (one of the best I have ever seen) and the detailed and extensive footnotes. All in all, it is one of the few books that I really cannot conceive of being without. Absolutely essential.
	The Celtic Sources for the Arthurian Legend edited and translated by Jon B. Coe and Simon Young, 201 pages. The significance of this book lies in the fact that it provides a unique service to both layperson and scholar alike: it collects virtually every single early Celtic (i.e. pre-Galfridian Welsh, Irish and Celtic-Latin) Arthurian source together into a single volume, giving each a brief introduction with bibliography (summarising recent research into meaning, significance and dating) and a parallel original text and reliable translation. The value of this is immeasurable, particularly as many texts are not otherwise easily available or available in modern translations. The presence of the original text will also be particularly welcomed, especially by those who wish to undertake serious study of the Celtic Arthurian legend. Again, this is one of the few books I really cannot conceive of being without. The only question is why no-one ever published such a collection before now.

	Exploring the World of King Arthur by Christopher Snyder, 192 pages. A recent and thorough survey of the Arthurian legend from post-Roman period to the present, by the author of the highly recommended An Age of Tyrants. This is a beautifully illustrated volume which covers all the major arguments and texts relating to Arthur, from his possible historicity in the 5th-century (and what he would have been like if he did exist then) to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chrétien de Troyes, Malory, Wagner and modern Hollywood versions of the legends. This is an amazing resource, especially for those relatively new to the Arthurian legend, which manages to treat in a measured, readable and reliable fashion the entire 1500 year stretch of the Arthurian legend.
	The Arthur of the English: The Arthurian Legend in Medieval English Life and Literature edited by W.R.J. Barron, 432 pages. This enormously important volume brings some of the top Arthurian scholars together in order to fully investigate all aspects of the Arthurian legend in the English language and culture up to the end of the middle ages. This is the sister volume to the indispensable The Arthur of the Welsh and is of similar quality to this. Highlights include a chapter on the Celtic background , chapters on Wace and Layamon, Professor Field on Malory, and a chapter on 'Arthur in English History' which offers, amongst other things, a sensible view of the Glastonbury burial. Well worth investing in if you have a serious interest in the Arthur of medieval English literature and legend.
	The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650 by John Morris, 665 pages. An incredibly influential book amongst Arthurian enthusiasts, this is a brilliant and highly readable account of 'Dark Age' Britain and the place of Arthur within it, as 'reconstructed' by the late Dr Morris. Unfortunately the methodology used in this 'reconstruction' is completely wrongheaded and this book destroyed Morris' academic reputation. Nevertheless it is undeniably a great work by a scholar who was fully immersed in his source material. Those new to Arthurian studies will find it endlessly fascinating and stimulating. Those who are more familiar with the primary sources and approaches of the period will probably be unable to accept his main conclusions and 'reconstructions' but will find, as Professor Campbell has, that the innumerable individual observations, comments and analyses away from his main thread of argument are invaluable and insightful.
	The Quest for Arthur's Britain edited by Geoffrey Ashe, 252 pages. A classic work of Arthuriana, this book should be on the bookshelves of anyone interested in the Arthurian legend. Essentially the book is a collection of essays on Arthurian history, archaeology and legends by illustrious and respected authors such as Geoffrey Ashe himself (contributing several pieces on the legend), Leslie Alcock (on his famous Cadbury-Camelot excavations), C.A. Ralegh Radford (on his work at Tintagel and Glastonbury Abbey), and Philip Rahtz (on Glastonbury Tor). Although the archaeological parts are now somewhat out of date (it was first published in 1968; more recent work - often by the same authors - is discussed in Snyder's book, recommended above) it is still a justly famous and very entertaining work which was extremely influential in its time, and the essays by Ashe are also still well worth reading. As the source of much subsequent discussion of the Arthurian legend it is highly important work and it was a prime mover in establishing the notion (pursued in the 1970s by both Morris -- in The Age of Arthur, recommended above -- and Alcock) that post-Roman Britain should be seen as 'Arthurian Britain'.
	The Discovery of King Arthur by Geoffrey Ashe, 224 pages. A passionate and interesting discussion of the Arthurian legend by Geoffrey Ashe, outlining his theory that Arthur can be identified with a king named Riot(h)amus from the 5th-century. This is perhaps the most plausible and successful of all the attempts to identify a real King Arthur, and as such is immensely popular with many Arthurian enthusiasts and scholars (though, as mentioned elsewhere on the 'Arthurian Resources' website, those who study the early Arthurian legend and its sources are considerably less enthusiastic about the explanatory power of this theory, though the parallels Ashe identifies are not denied).
	From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Holy Grail by C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor, 401 pages. 'From Scythia to Camelot' is a challenging book by two academic folklorists. Its central thesis is that the Arthurian legend is not in fact British in origin but rather that it belongs to the steppes of southern Russia and the Ukraine, the 'core' elements of the legend being brought to Britain (it is claimed) by Scythian cavalry under the command of Lucius Artorius Castus in the 2nd-century AD. This notion has not been generally accepted (to say the least) and it fails to convince for a number of reasons (not simply because of a wish to preserve scholarly orthodoxy, as some have claimed; I have offered some criticism in 'The Historicity and Historicisation of Arthur). Nevertheless, despite its flaws, it is an interesting and stimulating piece which deserves to be read, particularly as Joel Schumacher ('Falling Down', 'Tigerland', 'Batman and Robin') is apparently making a 'historical' Arthurian movie based around this theory.
	The Historic King Arthur: Authenticating the Celtic Hero of Post-Roman Britain by Frank D. Reno. Another 'historical Arthur' theory, this time identifying Arthur with the 5th-century Ambrosius Aurelianus. Though it suffers from many of the faults commonly found in such amateur investigations into the 'historical' Arthur, this is interesting because the candidate identified is in many ways the most plausible of all those that have been proposed in recent years. As I suggest in 'The Historicity and Historicisation of Arthur', it is not unreasonable to see the 'historical Arthur' of Historia Brittonum chapter 56 as being based upon the deeds of Ambrosius Aurelianus (as recorded by Gildas) and thus I would argue that, to some extent, Ambrosius should indeed be seen as the 'historical Arthur'. This is an intriguing coincidence and it alone makes this book more worthy of a look than many of the others of this type available.
	The Arthurian Handbook edited by Norris Lacy, 400 pages. In many ways this volume covers similar ground to Snyder's Exploring the World of King Arthur, insofar as it investigates the entirety of the Arthurian legend from its supposed 5th-century origins to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It is, however, a collaborative work which covers its chosen topics in far greater detail than Snyder does, with chapters by noted Arthurian experts such as Professor Lacy and Geoffrey Ashe. As a critical survey of Arthurian archaeology, history, legend, tournaments, literature, film and stage it succeeds admirably and is a valuable reference work and companion to Professor Lacy's superb The New Arthurian Encyclopedia.
	Celtic Myth and Arthurian Legend by Roger Sherman Loomis, 371 pages. A classic and very readable work of Arthurian scholarship, by one of the leading researchers of the early to mid 20th-century. Whilst Loomis' conclusions, which focus on the influence of Celtic nature mythology on medieval Arthurian Romances, are now often challenged, they shouldn't be ignored and still repay close reading (especially given recent theories, such as those in From Scythia to Camelot, which attempt to discredit the notion of any Celtic influence on Arthurian Romance).

	A Celtic Miscellany: Translations from the Celtic Languages translated by Kenneth Jackson, 343 pages. This book contains a wonderfully wide and varied selection of material in translation from both Irish and Welsh literature, chosen by the late Professor Jackson (one of the foremost experts in his field). Although the only specifically Arthurian text included in this volume is Culhwch ac Olwen, there is much here of value. Essential, especially for those whose interest in the Celtic materials extends beyond the relatively few Arthurian references to be found in them.
	Early Irish Myths and Sagas translated by Jeffrey Gantz. Although there is nothing specifically Arthurian in this volume it is, like Jackson's A Celtic Miscellany, well worth a look by anyone who has a general interest in Celtic literature beyond the Arthurian.
	Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales by Alwyn Rees and Brinley Rees, 428 pages. An old but solid survey of Welsh and Irish mythological tales, this is far better than many modern popular efforts. The Arthurian sections are short but sweet, with parallels drawn between the Arthurian legend in Wales and that of Fionn in Ireland. However the main value in this book will, for many, lie in its role as an general introduction to (and summary of) Celtic mythologies and traditions.
	Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History by Peter C. Bartrum. There are many dictionaries of Celtic mythology available, some of which are recommended below. None, however, can compare with the sheer magnificence of Bartum's 'Welsh Classical Dictionary'. Whilst it concerns itself with Welsh mythology and history alone, rather than the generally Celtic focus of many dictionaries, this is by no means a disadvantage. Dr Bartrum has been steeped in the original Welsh sources for decades and this familiarity and learning is clearly evident in this volume. Almost every aspect of medieval Welsh tradition is discussed at considerable length, with generous quotations from the original sources illustrating most entries. Exhaustive and illuminating.
	A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology by James MacKillop, 469 pages. Although not overly scholarly, this is a comprehensive dictionary which includes a number of interesting entries (both Arthurian and non-Arthurian). It is perhaps the best of such efforts on the market, though it pales in comparison with the Welsh Classical Dictionary compiled by Bartrum.
	Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend by Miranda J. Green, 240 pages. An alternative dictionary, this time compiled by noted Celticist Dr Miranda Green.
	The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton. Dr Hutton's book is again only tangentially Arthurian, as its topic is pagan religious beliefs from the Palaeolithic to the present day. However, it does its job magnificently, managing both to be enormously entertaining and highly scholarly. The title may make it sound a little dry but rest assured the book is not, handling with considerable flair (and sensitivity) such controversial topics as the Mother Goddess hypothesis, ley lines, the survival of pagan beliefs in medieval Christianity, druidism, and modern Wicca. All in all an absolutely superb book - one of my favourites - and the only reason that it is not 'Highly Recommended' is because of the paucity of specifically Arthurian material!

Copyright © 2002, 2007 Thomas Green. All Rights Reserved. For a guide to citation, see the following Style Citation Guide. Comments to: Thomas Green. This page first appeared on the Internet in April, 2002. It was last revised on November 3, 2007.