An Introduction to British Arthurian Narrative

“An insightful study of the British origins of the Arthurian tale.”—Choice

“The author’s careful historical contextualizing of her many texts (starting with a helpful Chronology at the beginning of the book) creates a persuasive thread of continuity from pre-Conquest Arthurian ‘history’ through to Thomas Malory’s late-medieval summa Arthurianica. . . . [A] reader new to this literary tradition is certain to enjoy, and learn much from, Susan Aronstein’s overview.”—Arthuriana

“[A] broad yet compact overview of important works of medieval literature. . . . [A] very useful survey of the British Arthurian tradition that many teachers of introductory courses will want to include in their reading lists.”—Comitatus

“A must-have for all those interested in King Arthur—from the amateur enthusiast to the established scholar.”—Dorsey Armstrong, Purdue University

Examining a broad range of romances, histories, and parodies written during the medieval period, Susan Aronstein traces Arthur’s transformation from a “leader of battles” in early histories to a powerful chieftain in Welsh tales, and finally, into England’s “once and future king.”

Susan Aronstein, professor of English at the University of Wyoming, is the author of Hollywood Knights: Arthurian Cinema and the Politics of Nostalgia.