The History of the Kings of Britain (Penguin Classics)
by Geoffrey of Monmouth
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Book Summary Information
Author: Geoffrey of MonmouthTranslator: Lewis Thorpe
Introduction: Lewis Thorpe
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1977-01-27
ISBN: 0140441700
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Penguin Books
Book Reviews of The History of the Kings of Britain (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: A History in the Old Sense
Summary: 4 Stars
This work, as another reviewer has mentioned, is not a history in the modern sense. It is full of fanciful tales: characters who assume the shapes of others, fights with giants, etc. However, we shouldn't hold this against Geoffrey. The conception of history which we hold in the twentieth century is relatively recent: it dates no further back than the Enlightenment. The kind of history that Geoffrey is writing falls within a much older tradition of writing, exemplified by the historians of ancient Greece and Rome. This book is really fun to read. It recounts British history from the withdrawal of the Roman Empire through the Anglo-Saxon invasion and to the person of Arthur. The whole work builds up to the character of Arthur and, predictably, fades afterwards. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in ancient histories (fanciful as they may be) or in the legends surrounding Arthur.
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