Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms

Description

A “fascinating historical detective work” that pins down the real story of the legendary medieval king and the court of Camelot (Spectator). The Holy Grail, the kingdom of Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table, and the magical sword Excalibur are all key ingredients of the legends surrounding King Arthur. But who was he really, where did he come from, and how much of what we read about him in stories that date back to the Dark Ages is true? So far, historians have failed to show that King Arthur really existed at all, and for a good reason—they have been looking in the wrong place. In this “vivid and thought-provoking” book, Alistair Moffat shatters all existing assumptions about Britain’s most enigmatic hero (Birmingham Evening Mail). With references to literary sources and historical documents, as well as archeology and the ancient names of rivers, hills, and forts, he strips away a thousand years of myth to unveil the real King Arthur. And in doing so, he solves one of the greatest riddles of them all—the site of Camelot itself. Cover Author biography Title page Copyright page Contents List of illustrations List of maps Acknowledgements 1 ANOTHER RIVER 2 AN ACCIDENTAL HISTORY 3 THE NAMES OF MEMORY 4 THE HORSEMEN 5 THE ENDS OF EMPIRE 6 AFTER ROME 7 THE KINGDOMS OF THE MIGHTY 8 PART SEEN, PART IMAGINED 9 THE MEN OF THE GREAT WOOD 10 THE GENERALS 11 FINDING ARTHUR 12 THE HORSE FORT 13 THE LANDS OF AIR AND DARKNESS Bibliography Index.