Hi Guys,

A few books I have read and would recommend are worth a look:-

Grail Quest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grail_Quest

Warlord Chronicles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warlord_Chronicles

Hear Lies Arthur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_Lies_Arthur

Saxon Stories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saxon_Stories

Cheers,

BigSteveUK

If I may add some recommendations as well ?

Not a book but good to hang on the wall for inspiration:

Sidonius Apollinaris? file copy of his 472 CE letter to Riothamus, ?King of the Brittones?
Image available from Bodleian Library Imaging Services, Oxford
Specify Codex Laudianus, Lat. 104, Folio 35R.

Hi-res image of an actual Bodleian Library document. Sidonius was Bishop of Clermont-Ferrand (in Gaul). In 472 he wrote a letter in Latin to Riothamus, said by Jordanes (a sixth century historian) to be ?king of the Brittones? and identified by some modern historians as the historical original for King Arthur. The letter is a request for Riothamus to hear the bearer?s case at Court and render Justice, since the bearer (not Sidonius) is an ?obscure and humble person? with no hope of seeing Justice done otherwise.


Now for a few books that may be of interest:

Geoffroi de Charny, ?The Book of Chivalry?, ca. 1352CE.
English translation by Richard Kaeuper and Elspeth Kennedy.
IMHO the definitive ?How to be a knight? book, being a practical guide written by the top knight of the period.

David Edge, Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight, 1988.
A solid, well-illustrated guide to knightly arms & armor century by century. If you want to really see what your PC wears and fights with in each period, this is the place.

1381 ? The Peel Affinity. La Belle Compagnie, 2007.
A bunch of Serious Reenactors tell the story of a year on an English knight?s manor in peace and in war. Lavishly illustrated, not cheap ($60).

Tamora Pierce?s Protector of the Small series (First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight), 2001.
Well-done medieval fantasy by an author who clearly knows her weapons and how one trains to use them. Girl wants to learn to be a knight, sweats her way up through the ranks despite opposition by the Old Boys Network.

Thanks for the tip, I saw the Winter King on amazon for cheap and ordered it. Of course I've got to get through Mists of Avalon first.

Richard Cavendish, 'King Arthur & The Grail' 1978.
A great non-fiction book on all facets of the legend and their pagan roots.

T H White's 'The Once and Future King' and 'The Book of Merlyn'.
Earnest, quirky and funny but I do find the constant anti-war theme a bit tiresome at times.

Roger Lancelyn Green, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table'.
I remember my mum buying this for me in Salisbury Cathedral on my first visit there when I was a boy. I read a lot of this writer's books for children on mythology when I was a boy and loved them all. It has unusual and very beautiful illustrations by Lotte Reiniger. A great book to introduce the legend to children.

I just started reading the Grail Quest and am not really liking it - strange, since I really liked the Warlord Chronicles and quite like Sharpe. Thomas feels like one of those PCs who refuses to follow the plot that the Gm has spent months preparing, if you know what I mean! I've almost finished the first book. Does it pick up in the second book, or is it more of the same brutality and meandering storyline?

I'll add Mary Stewart's books - The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment and The Wicked Day to the list. I loved the first three unreservedly. I felt that The Wicked Day redeemed Mordred only at the cost of turning the other Orkney boys into blackguards - poor Gawain, given such a negative portrayal. But this felt like a completely legitimate retelling of the story from another perspective and is great material for alternative characterisations of some of the leading figures, if you want to surprise your players a bit.

I would heartily recommend

Four Arthurian Romances by 12th cent. de Troyes Chr?tien
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/831

It is great source material

I just saw a stack of Stephen Lawhead's Arthurian novels in the second hand bookshop, and decided to get some reviews before buying any. Has anyone read these? What do people think about them?

I just saw a stack of Stephen Lawhead's Arthurian novels in the second hand bookshop, and decided to get some reviews before buying any. Has anyone read these? What do people think about them?


They have some good moments, but also a few weak points. Among the latter:

1. The notorious anachronism of having the Britons of Arthur's day eating potatoes (a New World vegetable).

2. The third book in the series, "Arthur", feels alarmingly compressed - as if Lawhead was trying to squeeze Arthur's entire reign into it in order to make his series a trilogy. (He probably realized just how compressed it was, since he later wrote "Pendragon" and "Grail", set in the middle of the third book.)

3. Also in "Arthur", Lawhead suddenly introduces Norma Lorre Goodrich's ideas about Arthurian geography, not even hinted at in the first two books and requiring many frantic changes from the set-up in them, as if he'd discovered her work after writing "Merlin" and was so thrilled that he rewrote his plans at once.

I also don't think he incorporated Atlantis that well into the story (by having it destroyed after the lifetime of Plato, the man who first told the story of Atlantis' destruction - and during the 4th century A.D., for that matter, with no indication of how such a cataclysmic event escaped the attention of the historians of the day), but others have disagreed with me.

I'm going to suggest a couple of books, but they are both kind of off-beat in that neither are likely to be used as material for a straight-up Pendragon campaign.

The Coming of the King, Nikolai Tolstoy. Tells the story of Merlin, though it is set after Arthur's time. The book seems based on the idea that post-Roman occupation, Britain reverted to a strong Celtic culture, which may not be historical. It is also steeped in Celtic mythology, with Merlin not being a magician but an arch-druid, something like a Celtic shaman. It is a fantastically written book with a wonderful evocation of the setting. It has, for example, a great description of the Wild Hunt visiting a king's hall on Kalan Gaeaf. Another aspect I love about this book is that late in the book it shifts to the Saxon point of view for a couple of chapters and the whole style of writing changes and the setting become as steeped in Anglo-Saxon/Norse mythology as it was with Celtic.

Parsival, or a Knight's Tale, Richard Monaco. Again, another wonderfully written book (Pulitzer nominated I understand). It is set in a fantasy version of Arthurian Britain that retains the fantasy of Malory but little of the romance. Arthur and his knights are less questing heroes then they are Hell's Angels on horseback, looking for rumbles and intimidating the peasants. A good tonic for anyone who finds the emphasis on nobility and chivalry in knightly tales to be overplayed. As I said, wonderfully written with a sort of dream-like quality to it.

Just finished this, ‘The Greatest Knight’, it's the fictional account of the first part of William Marshall's life, who is probably the greatest knight ever to exist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Marshal,_1st_Earl_of_Pembroke

I didn’t think I would like it, and to be fair you can tell it’s written by a woman which is in no way meant as an insult.

It is a much later period than Arthur, but follows his rise from hostage, to Earl, not a lot of battle description but the he achieves so much, the book would be huge if it detailed each conflict. The writing is to a very high standard and is full of tourneys, battles, ladies, intrigue at court, betrayal etc.
Very good and I think gives you some good ideas.

Well recommended from me.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Knight-Story-William-Marshal/dp/0751536601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1250496642&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Knight-Story-William-Marshal/dp/0751536601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1250496642&sr=8-1)

Finished the three Warlord Chronicle books by Bernard Cornwell. I did appreciate the research that was put into them but I did struggle getting through them. Sometimes I gently mock my friends when they buy this author's books, I say it is a sign that they are officially middle-aged!
Some parts of the books really stick in your head though and there is an interesting portrayal of Lancelot! Probably exactly how he was! :)

Bought Phyllis Ann Karr's Arthurian Companion 2nd ed from the US. It is a great, easy to read reference book and is very good value for money. Highly recommended.

Also read the graphic novel Camelot 3000. I bought it because I love Brian Bolland's artwork but this book is pretty awful. King Arthur and his knights return to defend Earth from Morgana allied with evil space aliens! :o
Tristram returns as a woman, poetic justice, I guess! At least Morgana looks sexy, even with a terrible skin condition!

Finished the three Warlord Chronicle books by Bernard Cornwell. I did appreciate the research that was put into them but I did struggle getting through them. Sometimes I gently mock my friends when they buy this author's books, I say it is a sign that they are officially middle-aged!

:-[ Ahh, I bought them and loved them ;D

Yeah I loved them too.

hands down.....my favorite arthurian books are the warlord chronicles. I am attempting to take the gpc and make it more like them when I run the campaign. Its hard though! >:(

It seems like Warlord Chronicles are quite polarizing - I hated them. I don't find Cornwall an interesting writer.

It seems like Warlord Chronicles are quite polarizing - I hated them. I don't find Cornwall an interesting writer.


I find him gritty and detail oriented. ;)
And his work translates well to TV with the right lead actor and memorable supporting cast... Maybe the BBC should do The Warlord Chronicles. Is Sean Bean doing anything at the moment? Who would Daragh O'Malley be cast as??

The Decline of the Middle Ages (lately re-translated as The Autumn of the Middle Ages) by Huizinga is really interesting and gives a very good idea of the atmosphere that might prevail during Camelot's decadent periods.

Is Sean Bean doing anything at the moment?

He's been cast to play Ned Stark in HBO's pilot for their adaptation of 'A Song of Ice & Fire'.

Of course, that won't require a big commitment from him if the series gets picked up...

Regards
Luke

The Decline of the Middle Ages (lately re-translated as The Autumn of the Middle Ages) by Huizinga is really interesting and gives a very good idea of the atmosphere that might prevail during Camelot's decadent periods.


I've just been reading this, and it's as dense a treatise as I can even imagine. But slogging through it--and it is a seriously heavy slog for me--has given me some true insights into the mentality of the Middle Ages that I'd not encountered before. Very serious stuff!

--Greg

The Decline of the Middle Ages (lately re-translated as The Autumn of the Middle Ages) by Huizinga is really interesting and gives a very good idea of the atmosphere that might prevail during Camelot's decadent periods.


Care to summarize this atmosphere for those who don't have the book?

"So violent and motley was life that it bore the mixed smell of blood and of roses"


"The knight-errant, fantastic and useless, will always be poor and without ties"


There was less relief available for misfortune and for sickness; they came in a more fearful and more painful way. Sickness contrasted more strongly with health... Honor and wealth were enjoyed more fervently and greedily because they contrasted still more than now with lamentable poverty... all things in life had about them something glitteringly and cruelly public. The lepers, shaking their rattles and holding processions, put their deformities openly on display. Every estate, order and craft could be recognized by its dress. The notables, never appearing without the ostentatious display of their weapons and liveried servants, inspired awe and envy....The modern city hardly knows pure darkness or true silence anymore, nor does it know the effect of a single small light or that of a lonely distant shout... Bells acted in daily life like concerned good spirits who, with their familiar voice, proclaimed sadness or joy, calm or unrest, assembly or exhortation. ...[O]ne knew their individual tones and instantly recognized their meaning. People never became indifferent to these sounds, no matter how overused they were.


The fires of hatred and violence burn fiercely. Evil is powerful, the devil covers a darkened earth with his black wings. And soon the end of the world is expected. But mankind does not repent, the churches struggles, and the preachers and poets warn and lament in vain.


"Medieval swordplay differs . . . from Greek and from modern athletics by its much reduced degree of naturalness . . . Real life was not beautiful enough; it was harsh, cruel, and treacherous."


"So the exhausted aristocracy laughs at its own ideal. Having dressed and painted their passionate dreams of a beautiful life with all their powers of imagination and artfulness and wealth and molded it into a plastic form, they pondered and realized that life was really not so beautiful-- and then laughed.
"It was only a vain illusion, that knightly glory, only style and ceremony, a beautiful and insincere play!"

He also quotes poems like The Vows of the Heron:

When we are in taverns, drinking strong wines, and being watched by ladies with firm breasts in tight bodices and with bright eyes that sparkle with smiling beauty, nature makes us
desire to do battle – only to want mercy later on. Thus we conquer Yaumont and Agoulant, and others defend Oliver and Roland. But when we are in the field on our swift horses, our shields hanging from our necks, our lances lowered, and the terrible cold is chilling us, and all our limbs fail us entirely, and our enemies are approaching us, then we would rather be hidden in a cellar so deep that no one could ever find us.

I should note that a lot of recent scholarship disagrees with him on several counts, including the huge contrast he makes between the medieval period and the glorious Renaissance. Nevertheless, it's an incredible book.


I've just been reading this, and it's as dense a treatise as I can even imagine. But slogging through it--and it is a seriously heavy slog for me--has given me some true insights into the mentality of the Middle Ages that I'd not encountered before. Very serious stuff!

--Greg Did you read Decline, or Autumn? I can't speak to the readability of Decline, but the newer translation has some truly wonderful prose. I don't care who I have to sell my soul to, I have to be able to write like that.

Anyway, the Song of Roland also deserves a mention, if for nothing else but its incredibly brutal fight scenes. Highlights: someone getting his spine stabbed out with a spear, Roland's cousin Oliver breaking his lance and, since he doesn't have time to draw his sword, just bashes skulls with the broken stump.

Great quotes, and I will just emphasize that the entire book is full of this kind of writing.

One key point which I took away from Huizinga was the "quest for beauty" and is all-pervasive impact.




I should note that a lot of recent scholarship disagrees with him on several counts, including the huge contrast he makes between the medieval period and the glorious Renaissance.


My impression was that he's campaigning for LESS difference, but hey, I'm just a layman. :)




I've just been reading this, and it's as dense a treatise as I can even imagine. But slogging through it--and it is a seriously heavy slog for me--has given me some true insights into the mentality of the Middle Ages that I'd not encountered before. Very serious stuff!

--Greg Did you read Decline, or Autumn? I can't speak to the readability of Decline, but the newer translation has some truly wonderful prose.

Autumn. Copies of both sat side by side in my local used book store and I'd glanced at both before I realized it was the same book. Why read the crappy one when the new one claims to be so much better? And I got a virgin copy of the hard back for $10, when a tattered paperback copy of the old one was $12 right next to it. Carpe diem! Then I read it.


I don't care who I have to sell my soul to, I have to be able to write like that.

I used to feel that way too, but have decided instead that if I want to have anything appear in my lifetime I have to just do my best. :)


Anyway, the Song of Roland also deserves a mention, if for nothing else but its incredibly brutal fight scenes. Highlights: someone getting his spine stabbed out with a spear, Roland's cousin Oliver breaking his lance and, since he doesn't have time to draw his sword, just bashes skulls with the broken stump.

:D Yea, because those early poets just didn't have the right quest for beauty! :D

--g

My impression was that he's campaigning for LESS difference, but hey, I'm just a layman. :)

Yeah, you're right. I was thinking specifically of Huizinga's view of chivalry as a hypocritical facade, etc., and how a lot of other authors that are not Huizinga took that and ran with it, sometimes in completely the opposite direction. Whoops!



Autumn. Copies of both sat side by side in my local used book store and I'd glanced at both before I realized it was the same book. Why read the crappy one when the new one claims to be so much better? And I got a virgin copy of the hard back for $10, when a tattered paperback copy of the old one was $12 right next to it. Carpe diem! Then I read it.
I had the exact same thing happen to me. I guess most people just aren't willing to upgrade to 2nd edition.


:D Yea, because those early poets just didn't have the right quest for beauty! :D

Then his bare brand, his Durendal, he takes;
Against Chernubles he spurs his steed in haste,
Splits through the helm with carbuncles ablaze,
Through the steel coif and, and through scalps and through brain
'Twixt the two eyes he cleaves him through the face;
Through the bright byrny close-set with rings of mail,
Right through the body, through the fork and the reins,
Down through the horse he drives the cleaving blade,
Seeking no joint through the chine carves his way,
Flings horse and man dead on the grassy plain.
"Foul befal, felon, that e'er you sought this fray!
Mahound", quoth he, "shall never bring you aid.
Villains like you seek victory in vain."

If you don't find that beautiful, then you and I have nothing to say to each other >:(

http://magistraetmater.blog.co.uk/2009/08/26/medieval-attitudes-and-mental-exercises-6825281/
A historian meditates on things one must keep in mind when writing medeival historical fiction; I think it applies perfectly to Pendragon as well. It covers topics like the nature of belief, loyalty/one's place in the social hierarchy, how medieval racism differed from modern, and so forth.

Edit: and for heaven's sake, read the comments. Readers' comments of any sort are generally the most mind-bogglingly stupid things on the Internet, but these ones are actually constructive and expand on things nicely.

The New Arthurian Encyclopedia is pretty cool.

Let's open up to a random page.


Widwilt, an Old Yiddish Arthurian verse romance of some 4,200 lines, composed in the fifteenth century . . . There is a marked tendency to reduce the hero to human proportions; twice, Widwilt is effortlessly defeated by the giant's mother and slinks away from her castle like an Arthurian shlemiel.


While Arthurian tradition is but a small component of most role-playing games, which draw upon folklore and legends from many lands, it comprises the entire setting in Knights of the Round Table (1978), designed by Phil Edgren, Hidden Kingdom (1983), designed by Jon McClenahan and Stanley Dokupil, and King Arthur Pendragon (1985), designed by Greg Stafford. This last, which achieved the greatest success, encourages characters to develop not only combat skills but also chivalrous qualities, such as loyalty and courtesy, and abilities like dancing and hunting, through a range of experiences similar to those one might encounter in the pages of medieval romance. It is supported by a series of adventure and information books, including The King Arthur Companion, by Phyllis Ann Karr. Based primarily upon Malory, this offers copious notes upon characters and places.
Stafford also designed Prince Valiant, the Storytelling Game (1989), based upon the comic strip created by Hal Foster. This combines the setting of fifth-century Europe with elements drawn from medieval romance. Frames from the comic strip are used to illustrate the rules, which have been simplified to make the game more accessible, while continuing to encourage the development of chivalrous, as well as warlike skills.

Just purchased an old Reader's Digest - Folklore Myths & Legends of Britain and it has got loads of interesting bits on locations throughout the Disunited Kingdom for a Pendragon game.

I'd read one years ago and was reminded of it again recently when reading through the bibliography of one of the Pendragon supplements. It contains a huge wealth of knowledge which can be used for scenarios or campaigns.
I am sure there are ample websites to consult but I just like the feel of a hefty tome to leaf through from time to time.

I just picked up a book from Borders which looks like it has enough material in it to run an entire campaign of Pendragon adventures. "The Lore of the Land," by Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson, goes through England shire by shire and details all the little folk tales and legends associated with each area. There's a map for each shire, with different icons for different types of legends - so you can instantly see where all the giants are, where all the faeries are, where all the dragons are, where all the ghosts are, and so on. While not all entries are suitable for Pendragon, there's stacks which are. For instance, one of the starting manors in Salisbury is Steeple Langford; part of that demesne would be Little Langford, just to the south-east, where the book tells me that a giant blood-gorged maggot terrorised the village until it was hunted down and destroyed - that sounds like a great solo adventure! There's about 850 pages of locations.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to do a sandbox, knight-errant game.

Blood gorged maggot!! WOW, I gotta fine me that book!!

One note on how I chose these for KAP:

I chose NOT to use anything that was after 1500, and any story that was younger was included. That way only Medieval motifs came in.

--Greg




I just picked up a book from Borders which looks like it has enough material in it to run an entire campaign of Pendragon adventures. "The Lore of the Land," by Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson, goes through England shire by shire and details all the little folk tales and legends associated with each area. There's a map for each shire, with different icons for different types of legends - so you can instantly see where all the giants are, where all the faeries are, where all the dragons are, where all the ghosts are, and so on. While not all entries are suitable for Pendragon, there's stacks which are. For instance, one of the starting manors in Salisbury is Steeple Langford; part of that demesne would be Little Langford, just to the south-east, where the book tells me that a giant blood-gorged maggot terrorised the village until it was hunted down and destroyed - that sounds like a great solo adventure! There's about 850 pages of locations.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to do a sandbox, knight-errant game.

I just picked up a book from Borders which looks like it has enough material in it to run an entire campaign of Pendragon adventures. "The Lore of the Land," by Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson, goes through England shire by shire and details all the little folk tales and legends associated with each area. There's a map for each shire, with different icons for different types of legends - so you can instantly see where all the giants are, where all the faeries are, where all the dragons are, where all the ghosts are, and so on. While not all entries are suitable for Pendragon, there's stacks which are. For instance, one of the starting manors in Salisbury is Steeple Langford; part of that demesne would be Little Langford, just to the south-east, where the book tells me that a giant blood-gorged maggot terrorised the village until it was hunted down and destroyed - that sounds like a great solo adventure! There's about 850 pages of locations.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to do a sandbox, knight-errant game.


Sounds great, though I'm puzzled about your just finding it at the bookstore. After reading your report this morning, I went to the local bookstore to ask about it, to learn that it was out of print. And unfortunately, the public library doesn't have a copy. (Maybe I'll find one in one of the used bookstores in town.)

I live in New Zealand, so I get a slightly different range of books on the bookshelves here. I've found it on Amazon for you, anyway:

http://www.amazon.com/Lore-Land-Englands-Legends-Spring-heeled/dp/0141021039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262147922&sr=8-1

I live in New Zealand, so I get a slightly different range of books on the bookshelves here. I've found it on Amazon for you, anyway:

http://www.amazon.com/Lore-Land-Englands-Legends-Spring-heeled/dp/0141021039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262147922&sr=8-1


Thanks; I was wondering if perhaps it was in print abroad but not in the U.S.

Giant blood-gorged maggot!!!!!! Sounds like CALL OG CTHULU!!!!!!!! Makes me womder about eating salisbury steak, ya know? :-\

Hi Guys,

Nearly finished the first Game of Thrones book and must say though the world is very different it's a perfect fit for Pendragon.

Lots of political manoeuvring, courtly backstabbing and battles all in a very medieval setting.

Well worth a read.

Happy New Year,

Steve

There's a set of books called The Spook's Apprentice (I think they might be called The Last Apprentice in the US). The setting isn't Arthurian at all, but if you're looking for background flavour for British folklore and faeries they're pretty cool. They're darned good reads too!

If we're straying from purely Arthurian then I'd have to include The Dying Earth series by Jack Vance, a master wordsmith IMHO. He's expanded my odd GM vocab quite a bit. Cugel's Saga in particular. The protagonist is cunning, clever, and vain and often undone by all three.

Even though these books were partly the inspiration for the D&D magic system I still find them quite un-D&D in style.

If we're straying from purely Arthurian then I'd have to include The Dying Earth series by Jack Vance, a master wordsmith IMHO. He's expanded my odd GM vocab quite a bit. Cugel's Saga in particular. The protagonist is cunning, clever, and vain and often undone by all three.

Even though these books were partly the inspiration for the D&D magic system I still find them quite un-D&D in style.


I liked them too, but please let us keep this list to Arthurian subjects.

Usamah ibn Munqidh was a Muslim Syrian knight of the mid-12th century; a warrior, courtier, diplomat, and writer, he often came into contact with the local Franks of the Crusader states both on the battlefield and off. Though the setting of his Memoirs is rather far removed from Ye Olde Englande, I think it gives a clearer view of cross-cultural chivalric respect and tolerance than many Western romances. The fight scenes are very swashbuckling and interesting, highlighting particularly interesting exploits Usamah had seen in his long military career. Though a Muslim in the employ of Muslim potentates in conflict with the local Christians, he befriended many Franks, including some among the Knights Templar (!). His attitude toward the Franks seems to be generally derisive, but there seems to be some genuine friendship there as well. Even when he makes jokes at the expense of the Franks (may Allah's mercy not rest upon them!), or derides their medicinal practices, he is generally just as ready to show their virtues; for example, he tells of one instance where he and a comrade rout eight Frankish knights by themselves, only to be in turn routed by a single Frankish footman.

The example below captures the tone of the work perfectly (those familiar with the story of Palomydes the Saracen should be doubly amused):


In the army of King Fulk, son of Fulk, was a Frankish reverend knight who had just arrived from their land in order to make the holy pilgrimage and then return home. He was of my intimate fellowship and kept such constant company with me that he began to call me "my brother." Between us were mutual bonds of amity and friendship. When he resolved to return by sea to his homeland, he said to me:

"My brother, I am leaving for my country and I want you to send with me thy son (my son, who was then fourteen years old, was at that time in my company) to our country, where he can see the knights and learn wisdom and chivalry. When he returns, be will be like a wise man."

Thus there fell upon my ears words which would never come out of the head of a sensible man; for even if my son were to be taken captive, his captivity could not bring him a worse misfortune than carrying him into the lands of the Franks. However, I said to the man:

"By thy life, this has exactly been my idea. But the only thing that prevented me from carrying it out was the fact that his grandmother, my mother, is so fond of him and did not this time let him come out with me until she exacted an oath from me to the effect that I would return him to her."

Thereupon he asked, "Is thy mother still alive?" "Yes." I replied. 'Well," said he, "disobey her not."

Excerpts are up at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/usamah2.html . Penguin Classics just put out an affordable new translation( http://www.amazon.com/Book-Contemplation-Crusades-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140455132/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262894139&sr=8-1 ), much better than the 88-year-old Hitti translation. I think this book would benefit even those who don't send their knights on pilgrimages or crusades to the East. In short, this owns!!, read it.


The blog of Geoffrey Chaucer ( http://houseoffame.blogspot.com/ ) should give you something to quote at the game table other than Monty Python.


GALFRIDUS CHAUCERES LYNES OF PICKE-VPPE:
[...]
Art thou a disastrous poll tax? Bycause I feele a risynge comynge on.
[...]
By my soule, thou art a verye mappe of helle. For thy face lyk the rivere Styx wil make me swere oothes neuer to be fforsworn, and thy embrace lyk the Lethe shal make me foryet al else, and lyk vnto the Flegeton thyn arse ys ON FYRE!

If we're straying from purely Arthurian then I'd have to include The Dying Earth series by Jack Vance, a master wordsmith IMHO. He's expanded my odd GM vocab quite a bit. Cugel's Saga in particular. The protagonist is cunning, clever, and vain and often undone by all three.

Even though these books were partly the inspiration for the D&D magic system I still find them quite un-D&D in style.


Jack Vance's Lyonesse trilogy is very Arthurian methinks. A pre-Arthurian land of enchantment from which Arthur's grandfather fled to Britain. A young king striving for justice and order, beset by enemies without and within. Weird magicians, the collision of the faerie and human worlds, a Round Table and a quest for the Holy Grail itself.
I especially like Vance's description of the eerie knight Sir Sacrontine, "who could not sleep of nights until he had killed a Christian".

Has anyone here read any of the Green Knight books like 'Exiled from Camelot' or 'To the Chapel Perilous'? Can anyone recommend any?

The Solitary Knight -currently living in a cold and icy Salisbury, devoid of any blood-engorged maggots or any Salisbury steak..........
I live just round the corner from Saxon road and will doubtless slip on the ice there as I always do every winter and fall flat on my ass tomorrow on my way to work!
Must be a Saxon curse............

Though not Arthurian, they are most certainly knightly! I highly recommend Knight in Anarchyby George Shipway and The Earl by Cecilia Holland. Together they tell the story of the reign of Stephen of Blois, an excellent guide for the Anarchy period in Pendragon.

A thread from another gaming forum: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3223212&userid=0&perpage=4 0&pagenumber=1

The guy doing most of the talking in the thread apparently did his dissertation on Arthurian literature, and he has some really interesting takes on the Knights of the Round Table and how they might fit into an RPG (mostly D&D, though).


On the quest for the holy grail, [Percival] never kills anyone, not because he's a pacifist, but because it never seems appropriate. he doesn't shy away from it by any means, and in fact really enjoys fighting, but the way he enjoys it is like a teenager playing a really fun game. If it were football, he wouldn't be the kind who plays to bang cheerleaders or hit people. he'd be the all american boy who plays because he loves the game, and grew up playing catch with his dad, and hits people because that's just how the game is played.

...

He is a Knight of the Round Table not out of ambition, but for love of the game, so to speak. Imagine playing a character who just really likes fighting orcs, not because he likes killing or hates orcs, but because he's good at it and can do really neat stuff with his sword and is really excited about it. That's Parcivale.

(Possibly not work safe; even with the language filter on, these people do not exactly stand on formality)

I'd rather not read through all three pages so I'm sorry if I'm repeating something already stated. There is a writer named Sharon Kay Penman. She writes historical fiction about the Kings of England, the Queens of England, the King-makers, and the Princes of Wales (when they were actually Welsh). Although fiction, she sticks to history as much as feasible and does a lot of research. Reading what these people actually did in real life, how they led armies, and the absolute nervelessness in which they acted is darned near as good as the fiction of KAP.

I'd like to recommend The High Kings by Joy Chant. This is a Hugo award winning (1984) collection of short stories of famous High Kings of Britain from Brutus the Trojan through Leir and Bran the Blessed, and many others, including Vortigern, and ending with the life of the most famous High King of them all - Arthur himself.


...Riderch came out from among the bards, and said, 'Head of the Island, what manner of tale would it please you to hear?'

And Arthur replied, 'Tell us a tale of our people, of the land we love and defend, a story of Britain.'

Riderch sat by the hearth and put his harp on his knee...he gazed silently into the fire, calling the shadows into life; until he touched the strings and began:

'Listen now, and hear the story that is called The Winning of Britain...'

This is the story of the ancient Celts, that race of proud and passionate warriors, kings, queens and their loves and feuds: a richly-woven, strife-torn tapestry culminating in the heroic reign of King Arthur.

I'd rather not read through all three pages so I'm sorry if I'm repeating something already stated. There is a writer named Sharon Kay Penman. She writes historical fiction about the Kings of England, the Queens of England, the King-makers, and the Princes of Wales (when they were actually Welsh). Although fiction, she sticks to history as much as feasible and does a lot of research. Reading what these people actually did in real life, how they led armies, and the absolute nervelessness in which they acted is darned near as good as the fiction of KAP.


Yes, she is very good. I've read her Sunne in Splendor (although it was very Ricardian, I enjoyed it) and Here Be Dragons (so far her best IMHO). Currently reading Devil's Brood. ;D

Age of Tyrants: Britain and the Britons 400-600AD Christopher Snyder

Roman Britain and Early England 55BC-871 AD, by Peter Hunter Blair

Historic Figuires of the Arthurian Era, by Frank Reno

The Age of Arthur, by John Morris (very criticized piece of work)

Also there was a BBC 3 part series about Dark age Britain that was very enlightening. It's thesis was that the dark ages weren't so dark after all in Britain. I will try to find the link.

Of course the 4 ancient books of Wales (ironically have alot to do with the Old North and were written in Brythonic/old welsh)

I also recommend the osprey series on the hillfort in Arthurian/Dark Age Britian by Angus Konstam ( a friend of mine)

Seeing the price of a mint GPC rocket up on ebay recently and inspired by a recent thread in which I over-exuberantly gushed over that printed product, I started transferring my Pendragon collection to another bookcase to better store and protect my books.
I discovered two little rough gems, hidden amongst the other books. One is 'A Medieval King Governs' by Marjorie Reeves and the other is 'The Usborne Time Travellers Omnibus'.

Both are obviously written for children but contain a lot of information which could be useful for younger players of Pendragon.
The first book is a slim, little volume and it uses one of my countrys' most energetic, underrated and unappreciated rulers, King Henry II and talks about how he governed his realm. It is about the young king, his household, how he travelled, his expenses and income and the king's justice.

The second book is a quirkily illustrated hardback containing a lot of little pictures and bits of information on castles, their interiors, the routine of their occupants, the training of knights and other things.

Anyone read Arthur the King by Alan Massie? Just picked it up.

Another book that players and gamemasters might find useful: "Knight: the Medieval Warrior's Unofficial Manual" by Michael Prestwich, published by Thames and Hudson (which also published a similar book about the Roman army). Written from the perspective of a knight in early 15th century Europe, it discusses the life and duties of knights in the format of a "how-to manual". These are the knights of history rather than of legend (the Arthurian romances are briefly alluded to, but seen as only entertainments); the book focuses on the 14th and early 15th centuries (the most recent event mentioned in its pages is Henry V's victory at Agincourt), making it most appropriate for the Tournament Period. It even has some flashes of humor (the author is convinced that the Order of the Garter will never catch on because the name's too silly, and gives a list of crimes a knight can commit on campaign punishable by death, one of which is suicide - and then admits that inflicting a death sentence on him for that offense would be difficult).

Michael Prestwich, by the way, is a very good medieval military historian; his academic credentials are solid.

I've just read Ian Mortimer's The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century. The book is based on sources throughout the 14th century, and to some extent the century before and after.

This book is excellent. Well research, well written, in turns witty, funny, horrifying. It covers the landscape, clothes, food, health, housing, popular pastimes, religion, culture, and a host of other topics. It gives great insights into medieval thinking and way of life in England. It may not offer that much concrete in terms of game-play for a KAP game, but it sure gives a lot of useful background material that you could use to give a richer gaming experience.

I've just read Ian Mortimer's The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century...


Thanks - that's a book I've always meant to pick up but never quite got around to it. I shall definitely have to make sure I do now.

I've just read Ian Mortimer's The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century...


Thanks - that's a book I've always meant to pick up but never quite got around to it. I shall definitely have to make sure I do now.


I'm reading it at the moment and can heartily recommend it as well. You will not be disappointed.

+1

Has anyone read Keith Baines' rewriting of Le Morte d'Artur? I read through a bit of White's The Once and Future King but it didn't click with me. Baines' seems like the next best thing, in plain modern English. What are your opinions on it? (I also ordered Steinbeck's; I like what I read in the preview pages, although I'm aware it's "incomplete").

I just finished a book that I should recommend on this forum: KING OF THE ROMANS by John Gorman.

It is set in the period of 486 to approximately 500 AD. The main character is Syragius, the last Roman proconsul of Gaul. The first part of the novel describes his defeat by Clovis when Clovis conquers Gaul. The second part tells the story of Syragius, years later, defending Crete against Vandal pirates.

Although it is a recent book, the style and tone are archaic. It is an epic tale of heroism with much chivalry.

Could provide some inspiration for adventures beyond Britain.

Link to Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/King-Romans-John-Gorman-ebook/dp/B004INH6NE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MF0rgnJXL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-52,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

EDIT:
When I wrote the above recommendation, I had forgotten that Syagrius appears in the GPC. In the GPC, Syagrius rides off to fight a losing battle in 488 AD, and any PC Knights who join him are automatically removed from the game.

I think I didn't make the connection because Syagrius is portrayed so differently in the two stories. In the GPC, he isn't the heroic protagonist that he appears in the Gormon novel.

This (forthcoming) book struck me as one that might interest some of the members of this esteemed forum, though it may not be that useful (rather the opposite) as a resource: http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Britain-Ronald-Hutton/dp/0300197713.

There's a review in the Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21591543-it-hard-know-sure-what-people-used-believe-more-questions-answers.

Medieval Underpants and other blunders by Susanne Alleyn

A good book to avoid unwanted anachronisms, or at least, have them show up in the right periods. The chapter on properly addressing English aristocrats and royalty can make for some fun flavor too.

What Kings ate and Wizards drank by Krista D. Ball

While it covers lots of food related information, the appendixes: The Agricultural Calendar of Britain, and Feast Planning 101 make for good flavor text.

Medieval Lives by Terry Jones (Yes, that Terry Jones.)

A good look of the different strata of society. Very good for any dark and gritty needs.
Also, if you've ever wanted to add a borg-like enemy to your Pendragon game, look no further than the section on the Cistercian monks (white robed).

Malory: The Knight who became King Arthur's Chronicler by Christina Hardyment

It adds a lot of flavor and subtext to his stories, like some of the characters are named after his friends instead of their original French names. His connection with the Knights Hospitaller explains all the odd boating trips in some of the stories. Most importantly, a very good case is made that the crimes he was accused of were trumped up for political reasons.

Richard Cavendish, 'King Arthur & The Grail' 1978.
A great non-fiction book on all facets of the legend and their pagan roots.





Is that really a good non fiction read?