The Traveller's Guide to Arthurian Britain: A Guide to the History and Fantasy, Poetry and Romance, Tradition and Fable of King Arthur's Britain

In recent years the tradition of King Arthur has been attracting fresh interest and acquiring new dimensions. His name, as ever, conjures up famous characters and images - the king himself; his beautiful and passionate queen; Merlin, prophet and magician; the Round Table; the love stories of Lancelot and Guinevere. Tristan and Iseult; the Quest for the Grail; Arthur's mysterious departure. Nothing can diminish that powerful theme. But today, thanks to historians and archaeologists, and to creative writers influenced by their work, many people look deeper into Arthur's Britain, and ask searching questions, Did he exist, and if so, when? What is the secret of Tintagel, his birthplace? Where was Camelot? Was he buried at Glastonbury? And what about Guinevere, what about Merlin? Written by the long-acknowledged Arthurian expert, Geoffrey Ashe, this Guidebook considers where the legend came from, and offers some radical suggestions. It goes on to catalogue all the places and geographical features that figure in it, up and down Britain - those we can locate, and those that belong to romance or speculation. Complete with pictures, travel directions, and bibliography, the Guidebook is a unique companion for tourists wishing to track these stories over the landscape, and for readers wishing to imagine them in their setting. (from the back)