Hello there, pornies! I hope you are doing well. Still with no internet, which is more time to read, or that’s what I’m telling myself right now at least. Although I’m still new in the field of history, King Arthur is one of the myths I’ve been really curious about. After reading Following into the Footsteps of King Arthur, I wanted more, and since I had a copy of King Arthur: Man or Myth? by Tony Sullivan, I decided to go deeper in the matter. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy!
- Print Length: 216 pages
- Publisher: Pen & Sword History (May 13, 2020)
- Publication Date: May 13, 2020
- ISBN-10: 1526763672
- ISBN-13: 978-1526763679
The book is an investigation of the evidence for King Arthur based on the earliest written sources rather than later myths and legends.
The evidence is laid out in a chronological order starting from Roman Britain and shows how the legend evolved and at what point concepts such as Camelot, Excalibur and Merlin were added.
It covers the historical records from the end of Roman Britain using contemporary sources such as they are, from 400-800, including Gallic Chronicles, Gildas and Bede.
It details the first written reference to Arthur in the Historia Brittonum c.800 and the later Annales Cambriae in the tenth century showing the evolution of the legend in in later Welsh and French work distories.
The work differs from other books on the subject in not starting from or aiming at a specific person. It compares the possibility of Arthur being purely fictional with a historical figure alongside a list of possible suspects.
The evidences presented and the reader is invited to make up their own mind before a discussion of the Author’s own assessment.
I have to admit this was a heavy one for me. It took me a long while to finish it because it has lots, and I mean LOTS of information, details and specific facts. Some of them seemed superfluous to me, but again I’m still a rookie in history matters. To be honest, I enjoyed a lot, no matter how difficult it was for me to stay focused.
The author leaves no rock unturned, from Roman history and Celtic myths, from genealogies to even the meaning of the name, or nickname, “Arthur”, we get to explore several theories, if not all, about King Arthur and whether he’s a historical or a mythical character. I’m inclined to think that the most solid were included here, and will give any reader a solid understanding of the matter.
King Arthur: Man or Myth? was a challenging yet good reading. It clarified many doubts and helped me comprehend a lot about Arthur. It doesn’t matter if you have a basic, intermedium or high level of familiarity in this matter, you will get to see things from a different point of view and test them. There’s nothing too sacred here, everything is questionable, and with a Sherlock-Holmes style, Tony Sullivan evaluates each and every possibility.
I won’t spoil anything, but the book reaches a conclusion that will satisfy most of the readers, although it leaves room for everyone to take their own side. I will speak about mine in a future entry, maybe, just need to collect my thoughts. In the meantime, get a copy of the book and go through the mists that surround King Arthur and his legends.
About Tony Sullivan:
Tony Sullivan lives in Kent with my wife and children. He spent 31 years in the London Fire Brigade and have recently retired. He has been interested in dark age history and King Arthur in particular for many years.
Have you read this book? Would you recommend it or not? Let me know in the comments! Kinky regards, K!
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