The History of the Kings of Britain (Penguin Classics) |
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Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Completed in 1136, "The History of the Kings of Britain" traces the story of the realm from its supposed foundation by Brutus to the coming of the Saxons some two thousand years later. Vividly portraying legendary and semi-legendary figures such as Lear, Cymbeline, Merlin the magician and the most famous of all British heroes, King Arthur, it is as much myth as it is history and its veracity was questioned by other medieval writers. But Geoffrey of Monmouth's powerful evocation of illustrious men and deeds captured the imagination of subsequent generations, and his influence can be traced through the works of Malory, Shakespeare, Dryden and Tennyson.
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Customer Reviews:
• Medieval Books And Technology
30 October, 2009
Although I was told I would receive my books between 28th October and 13th November, they arrived at my door on 14th October...Wonderful! Thank you Amazon.
As you can see it's been about two weeks since I received my books, nevertheless I immediately started to read "The History of the Kings of Britain" to begin with, the cover is absolutely beautiful; the translation and introduction by Lewis Thorpe, poetic as well as accurate and I'm enjoying every single line of every page of this new old book...
- Amazon Customer Review
• Kings Indeed
14 February, 2007
With details of troop deployments and excerpts from speeches kings deliver to their men before battle, it becomes obvious it is unlikely that the details are historically accurate. Little time is spent discussing personal relationships; most of the stories revolve around battle. The book is easy reading for the most part. Some of the details offered before any given battle are hard to understand, but they rarely have a significant impact on the course of the plot. The price is more than fair, considering the volume of the book itself and the multitude of fantastic stories. Despite the fact that the work cannot be considered a true source of history, there is still a great deal of educational value.
- Amazon Customer Review
• This Is A Trans. Of The Latin Hrb.
06 January, 2005
I'm not sure why another reviewer asserts that "this is not a translation of the Latin HRB." Thorpe is translating the Latin Historia Regum Britanniae from the Cambridge MS. 1706 (see p. 34 of Thorpe's intro).
Geoffrey composed the History of the Kings of Britain ca. 1136-38. It is a medieval chronicle, and it adheres to the standards of historiography of the time. While it does not provide the kind of coherent reading experience one might expect from a modern novel, it does offer early versions of what will become familiar tales. Most Arthurian courses (including mine) begin with excerpts from this book--which places the figure of Arthur and his prototypes somewhere in the twilight between Late Antique history and medieval romantic legend. Later vernacular versions of the HRB will be Layamon's Brut (in early Middle English) and Wace's Roman de Brut (in Anglo-Norman French).
Geoffrey was probably Welsh, and some believe that he writes the HRB to please the Norman ascendancy as they have defeated the Anglo-Saxons (the old enemy of the Welsh) a few generations earlier.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Kind Of Weird, Kind Of Long, Kind Of Boring But Still...
11 September, 2005
I had to read some parts of this book for class and there were times when I was so confused by the writing that I had to reread parts three or four times. At other times I had no problem understanding what was going on. Overall, it is an enjoyable read if you are interested in how biographies were written in the middle ages and if you don't take every word seriously since the author wasn't very faithful to history.
- Amazon Customer Review
• A Must Read!!
08 September, 2009
This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Anyone with an interest in Arthurian legend or just a love of the dark ages should definately get a copy of this book. One of the first works of historical fiction, Manmouth's tales of Vortigern or the great Uther Pendragon will keep you thinking about the book long after you set it down. A must read!!
- Amazon Customer Review
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