history of the kings of britain by geoffrey of monmouth

This is a lovely book but is secondhand so please see the photos to make sure you'll be happy with its condition. Please note that we sell vintage books and as such these are rarely perfect. It has a quarter leather and cloth cover, colour plates, illuminated manuscripts and purple maps printed onto the endpapers. The book itself is in good condition though please be aware that there is a little damage to the bottom of the spine, there are marks on the cover and wear to the corners. We love it and its one of the most popular books we stock! It remains, however, a valuable piece of medieval literature, which contains the earliest known version of the story of King Lear and his three daughters, and helped popularise the legend of King Arthur.įor anyone with any interest in the legends of King Arthur and British myths, this has to be on the bookshelf despite its lack of historical accuracy. When events described, such as Julius Caesar’s invasions of Britain, can be corroborated from contemporary histories, Geoffrey’s account can be seen to be wildly inaccurate. Although credited uncritically well into the 16th century, it is now considered to have no value as history. It is one of the central pieces of the Matter of Britain. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons over the course of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation and continuing until the Anglo-Saxons assumed control of much of Britain around the 7th century. Originally entitled Historia Regum Britanniae (The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudo-historical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

History of the kings of britain by geoffrey of monmouth