An up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the history of the 'Arthurian' phenomenon - the imaginary and historical world of the great British warlord and one of the huge historical mysteries of early and medieval Britain. The Arthurian story, based on fact and fiction, is central to Britain's 'creation myth' and the concept of Britain's heroic past. This is a deeply researched and scholarly but essentially accessible history and analysis for general readers and specialists and based on an impressive array of sources including Romano-British, Anglo-Saxon, rare medieval English, French and German sources, and archaeology - essential for modern historical research in early history. Modern and contemporary historiography is covered including 'debunking' treatments. The study surveys King Arthur in fact and fiction, his family, knights, and the legends that have grown up around them and developed to the enduring interest from history, literature to TV and film.

Dr Timothy Venning obtained his PhD from King's College, London, published as Cromwellian Foreign Policy (1995). He is a specialist in the history and biography of the 17th century and Cromwell and the English (British) Civil Wars. He has special interest in the history of Parliament and has worked on the Robert Boyle Papers and the History of Parliament Projects for the University of London, the History of Parliament Trust and on biographies of leading figures in Parliamentary history. He has contributed to the New Dictionary of National Biography on leading Civil Wars figures including Secretary John Thurloe and Cromwell's Ambassadors and Council members. Timothy Venning is an established author of academic and general interest histories with many publications for leading publishers including Pen and Sword and Amberley. The present book follows his Cromwell's Failed State and the Monarchy (Pen and Sword).