Although I know a little of Geoffrey of Monmouth and his works, as yet I have only been able to find extracts of his book. I am particulary interested in this book as I am studying early Britain and I really do want to get the book in its entirity. Can anyone help me find a copy or know of a publisher that may have it?
2007-01-30 02:27:43 · 7 answers · asked by A-chan 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Try amazon.com or eby.com.
2007-01-30 02:32:27 · answer #1 · answered by Ricardo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Simple one. Go to old reliable Amazon.com. They have it there for about $10.88. Here is a review of the book.
Geoffrey of Monmouth is the man who really started the "King Arthur Craze" of the 12th & 13th centuries. After writing "The History of the Kings of Britain" we have the explosion of works by Chretien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Marie de France, Gottfried von Strassburg, the Vulgate Cycle and all the rest, eventually culminating in the 15th century with Le Morte D'Arthur. No matter what oral tradition may have been in place before this time (the "little book" loaned to Geoffrey?), this is THE book that starts the true interest in The Matter of Britain.
While King Arthur is the centerpiece of the work, this book contains many tales, many of which were later reworked by other authors, most notably Llyr (Lear) and his three daughters.
This book is not a history in the modern sense. "History" derives from "historia", a story, a tale; such "historical" stories were meant, first and foremost, to be moral, didactic lessons on how to (or how NOT to) conduct one's life. Very little in this book could be construed by modern standards to be a "true history"; conversely, here are tales of nobility, gallantry, perfidy, excess, and the like. The characters are exemplars, not real people. The book, starting with the Fall of Troy, leads towards the glory of King Arthur and then falls away from this point, with the slow decline of the Britons in the face of the Anglo-Saxons.
This book is not an easy read by modern standards. On the other hand, it was a medieval "best seller", a book for which there are dozens of manuscripts to sort out (often with slight differences in the text). If you have a real interest in the Arthurian legends or in medieval literature in general, you owe it to yourself to read this volume. While the tales of the Mabinogian may be older, this is the spark-point that introduces Europe to King Arthur.
2007-01-30 02:33:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have this very book, but I searched high and low to find it (in a second-hand bookstore), and I am not ready to part with it yet. The copy I have is probably the one you want - Penguin Classics, Translation and with Introduction by Lewis Thorpe (1966). This is the MOST recent Penguin Classic - black covers with orange writing. Try amazon.com of course, or alibris.com, or abebooks.com. You are welcome to ask me any further questions regarding this book and its contents.
2007-01-30 02:41:29 · answer #3 · answered by WMD 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
www.amazon.com The History of the Kings of Britain (Penguin Classics) (Paperback) $10.88
It's a classic
2007-01-30 02:43:50 · answer #4 · answered by markcubsfan 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if you m eant by internet, Amazon is very efficient with selling books for super low prices. Try this. :)
http://www.amazon.com/History-Kings-Britain-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140441700
2007-01-30 02:32:46 · answer #5 · answered by Sarah B 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
On shop.com. It's selling for $11.99, Amazon has it for $10.88; www.peterabelard.com also has it for $10.88, and overstock.com is selling it for $9.94.
2007-01-30 03:58:32 · answer #6 · answered by Survivors Ready? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
www.addall.com
2007-01-30 02:33:44 · answer #7 · answered by anywherebuttexas 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋