I have read quite a few books , but not all. I recommend all of the HOWARD PYLE books on Arthur. They are probably for adolescents but if you want to see quality art and see all the kinights cast in their best most chivilric light, then he is the one. He wrote his novels in the late 1800's but he canstill be found everywhere.
Also John steinbeck wrote an Arturian book called : The acts of King Artur and his noble knights. It is very cool.

My favorite ( meaning most fun to read: sorry MALORY :( ) Is the three part Warlord Chronicles written by Bernard Cornwell,. They are Quasi-historical ( or try to be), but very very good.

So does anybody have a favorite that I might be missing? I would love to read another good " King Arthur" book! :D

TH White's Once and Future King series is my favourite adaptation - a bit lighter and funnier than Malory, it covers the core legend well and has some good characterisation: the complex picture of Lancelot, for instance.

For a more historical Arthur, I loved Mary Stewart's books - particularly how she gives a realistic explanation for the events and then shows how legend builds about them. Her portrayal of Merlin was very good: this was one of the few times in fiction that I really felt how incredibly intelligent a character was. Rosemary Sutcliffe's Sword at Sunset was very good too, though a bit depressing.

I haven't read the Warlord Chronicles! But I'll have to do so. I've read some of his other stuff and enjoyed it a lot.

I've read the first volume of Morte D'Arthur. Must confess to finding it hard going - so different to a modern novel. I shall get around to the second volume next time I have a holiday and time to concentrate on it.

I am enjoying the Warlord Chronicles. Just started the third of the trilogy. An interesting take on the stories, with an emphasis on the grim side of things. The main theme of the book to me is that of struggle - the power struggle for the land between the different factions, the power struggle between Christianity and paganism, and the internal struggle inside Arthur between his own desires and the demands of ruling and how he perceives the correct way to do it. This is a tale of many shades of grey, an not black and white. Worth reading.

I also enjoyed the Stephen Lawhead Arthurian Cycle, although I know not universally approved of! ;) A fun read from a totally different angle.

Don't worry about Malory. He is touhg to get through. The language is pretty far removed from what we are used to. If I had not been fortunate enough to read it first, then I may not have gotten through it! Somehow at 15 I liked it though, and even with the language issue, I was captivated. It was , like only the second book that I had read for fun. The first set was The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander when I was 13 years old. I am not sure if I could find the strenth( or time) to read Malory right now again. ::)

The warlord Chronicles are awesome. Bernard Cornwell is a great writer. Any of his novels are a treat to read.

The once and future king. I always avoided it when I was young because i was so passsionate and serious about the arthurian thing that I was appaled that someone would make light of it! But I was 15 and going through the normal confused, Angst-riden , time of life all eople must go through. I think I used the literature as a boat to stay afloat. Now of course I can surely find the humor in it. Especially since I like Tristram, and in the GPC it gives T.H.whites reasoning of Tristram. Might be funny.

I think that today I am going after wok and I am going to get T.H. white, and also Mary Stewart. I have heard over and over again through the years how good she is. It's time to read it. Also Maybe Rosemary Sutcliffe as well. Lets get it on!!! 8)

Black Horses for the King, Anne McCaffrey.

Not focused on Arthur directly, but a historical fiction where Arthur's impact is being felt. Excellent, longish novella or short novel.

Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival" is much easier to read and more fun than Malory.

I also recommend Chretien de Troyes' stories, also easier to read.

"The Mabinogion", translated by Lady Charlotte Guest, while not explicitly Arthurian in all of its stories, it's still awesome and details the Matter of Wales and it's Arthurian connection.

There's Marion Zimmer-Bradley's "Mists of Avalon", while not as good as Stuart, her take on Arthurian women is brilliant, imho.

D

I just bought the once and future king. Not very far in but it seems good so far. I had to order Mary Stewart, and Sutcliffe.

Mists of avalon was good... but I had to draw the Line at Arthurian Threesomes. ::)Geez. It was a shame too, because the book was decent.

Warlord Chronicles are at the top, and excellent series. Didn't read Lawhead's Arthur stuff, but if it as good as the King Raven series, I may have to give it a go.

Stewart is my favorite treatment of Merlin; though I after reading Warlord, with its Merlin, I think I'm going to have to go back and read Stewart again to see if thats still the case.

Sutcliff is nice, as is Godwin (Firelord).

Now if we can just get a good screen adaption!

SDLeary

Film adaptations sounds like it'd be a good subject for another topic. I shall make said topic immediately! :)

Also a good read is Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles. Provides a lot of backstory, and has an interesting tie in to the founding of the Merovingian dynasty.

SDLeary

Also a good read is Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles. Provides a lot of backstory, and has an interesting tie in to the founding of the Merovingian dynasty.

SDLeary


LOL I mentioned these on the Pendragon Yahoo group a long time ago. I like his writing style. Everyone that commented about them did suggest that as semi-historical or Arthurian fiction; they'd make good fire starting material. ;D

Don't forget John Steinbeck's "The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights". Where he had the good grace to allow Sir Percarde, the Black Knight to survive his encounter with Sir Gareth.

Steinbeck is awesome. I have to stress to those of u that might have kids that as atreat for them and u, YOU SHOULD READ THEM SOME Howard Pyle. Not only are his stories happy but his art is the best ever. Ever. :)

I started with Howard Pyle when I was in Grade 2. I loved the little glosses on the side!

Another big thumbs up for The Warlord Chronicles from me as well. Probably my favourite portrayal of Lancelot ever!

Cornwell's version of the Arthurian tale was what I based the tone of the Uther and Anarchy periods on in my campaign. It worked very well- possibly TOO well, because when the later chivalric periods came about my players didn't want to change.

I am completely glad and gradified that everybody likes the warlord chronicles! I would love someone to make a 3 part movie of them and do it properly!!!!! It would be sweet! They are my absolute favorites. And if anyone likes his books I must recommend the Saxon Tales! Also good, though not quite finished. The Grail quest series is worth reading at least one time, though I probably would not read them again. I am waiting to pick up the sharpe series, but it is an ordeal ! It's like 20 books or something. And I am not sure that I have enough interest in the napoleonic wars to see me through. One day perhaps. :P

I've always found Bernard Cornwell to be kind of weird. He alternates between "War . . . war is hell" and "War is AWESOME COME GET SOME OORAH" with some frequency even within the same books, praising martial virtue, bravery, etc. while also lingering over the brutality, callousness, and rape, even when both things come from the same character. I don't know if the inclusion of these two sides is meant to elevate it above the usual war porn schlock or if it's just meant to be extra grim and gritty war porn schlock. That's not to say that I don't enjoy them, but I feel obliged to be guilty about it.

Steinbeck is awesome. I have to stress to those of u that might have kids that as atreat for them and u, YOU SHOULD READ THEM SOME Howard Pyle. Not only are his stories happy but his art is the best ever. Ever. :)


Men of Iron that became The Black Shield of Falworth is one of my favourites. :)

Based on the recommendations of this board I went out and bought the first book of the Warlord Chronicles. Very good stuff, although Cornwell takes some liberties with the basic plot. I liked how Arthur and Merlin appear for the first chunk of the book only through other people's thoughts, reactions and opinions towards them - it makes them seem much more important and epic when they do show up. Merlin is fantastically characterised. Lancelot is also interesting as a complete aversion and deconstruction of his traditional portrayal.

We could get another interesting spin-off thread from this, about favourite portrayals of the characters, and what to loot from each book for Pendragon.

Also a good read is Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles. Provides a lot of backstory, and has an interesting tie in to the founding of the Merovingian dynasty.

SDLeary


LOL I mentioned these on the Pendragon Yahoo group a long time ago. I like his writing style. Everyone that commented about them did suggest that as semi-historical or Arthurian fiction; they'd make good fire starting material. ;D


Actually, I do remember some people on the Yahoo group voicing their dislike of Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles (for not been acurate enough if I recall correctly) but I for one really enjoyed the serie. Paradoxally, the book I liked the least in the serie was the last one. I thought it was kind of anticlimatic. The books provide a very interesting take on Merlyn and Lancelot (Clothar).

Most certainly Godwin's Firelord. My favourite take on Gwynevere. (Which happens to be my oldest daughter's name, by the by.) I would strongly recommend Thomas Berger's Arthur Rex. It is bawdy and a bit comedic, but it has my favourite Gawaine. Karr's wonderful The Idylls of the Queen for an unforgetable Kay. And Rogers' Lancelot my Brother.
Good lord, but I could go on and on: Sutcliffe's Sword at Sunset, Jones' In the Shadow of the Oak King, Bradshaw's Hawk of May. Not Arthurian, but - in my opinion - just about the best treatment of knights in fiction, George Shipway's Knight in Anarchy and Cecelia Holland's The Earl....and, just for fun, John Maddox Roberts' Falcon series, written under the psuedonym Marc Ramsey.

I've always found Bernard Cornwell to be kind of weird. He alternates between "War . . . war is hell" and "War is AWESOME COME GET SOME OORAH" with some frequency even within the same books, praising martial virtue, bravery, etc. while also lingering over the brutality, callousness, and rape, even when both things come from the same character. I don't know if the inclusion of these two sides is meant to elevate it above the usual war porn schlock or if it's just meant to be extra grim and gritty war porn schlock. That's not to say that I don't enjoy them, but I feel obliged to be guilty about it.


I think war is probably not unlike sports in some regards. When you play sports you run through a gamut of emotions, and every now and then in the course of a game you get the feeling that you are " in the zone " which is to say that you feel invincible, and untouchable, like whatever you do you can do no wrong, and even mistakes you make end up going your way. I feel like war has a certain duality and it IS complex. There are feelings of compassion and guilt sometimes and at others there is just Rage and then ultimately satisfaction in being good at what you do. WAR is HELL , but it is an everyday fact of life to his caracters. If they start feeling all gooey about it then that does them no good, so they are trying constantly to put guilt and conscience, out of their minds and take the mind set of the warrior in " the zone" so that , if nothing else, they can at least survive . They try to be good men and yet still enjoy winning their battles ( heck..the alternative is death), so they tend to get a bit joyful about slaughter sometimes!!! Silly guys... ::)