The Knights of the Round Table were the original knights in shining armour, and this book is for anyone who is interested in fantastical tales of bravery or the actual history behind the stories. In medieval Arthurian tradition, Arthur often takes a back seat in the most exciting stories, appearing at the beginning and end of each to set the scene and conclude the tale. The central character is instead one of the Knights of the Round Table, each of whom is confronted with a wide variety of challenges and quests ranging from fighting monstrous creatures and rescuing damsels in distress to coping with courtly love and intrigue. Although Arthur is the best-known character from these stories his key knights - including Lancelot, Gawain, Perceval, and Tristan - are almost equally well known. This volume provides a collection of the most famous and interesting tales of the Knights of the Round Table, including the historical and literary background to the stories.

Author Biography

Born in a tower block named Tintagel House, forced to play the great king in a school play at the age of seven, and an avid reader of Arthurian stories throughout his childhood, it was inevitable that Daniel Mersey would grow up to be fascinated by Arthuriana. An editor and writer, his previous books include Legendary Warriors: Great Heroes in Myth and Reality (Anova, 2002) and Arthur King of the Britons (Summersdale, 2005), and his previous games include Glutter of Ravens (1998) and Song of Arthur and Merlin (2008). Alan Lathwell is a freelance illustrator based in the UK. He specialises in fantasy art and has a passion for Celtic and Norse mythology, which began at an early age. He uses a mixture of traditional and digital methods to create his paintings and his work has been used to illustrate children's books, role-playing games and book covers.