The Death of King Arthur

<p>A gripping retelling of the timeless epic of romance, enchantment and adventure, Peter Ackroyd's <i>The Death of King Arthur </i>recasts Sir Thomas Malory's <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> in clear, compelling modern English prose, published in Penguin Classics.<br><br>'In the old wild days of the world there was a King of England known as Uther Pendragon; he was a dragon in wrath as well as in power ...'<br><br>Born with the help of Merlin's magic, blessed with the sword of Excalibur, Arthur becomes King of a troubled England, beginning a golden age of chivalry at the court of Camelot. But his reign is soon to be torn apart by violence, revenge and tragedy ...<br>Sir Thomas Malory's <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> made the legend of King Arthur immortal. Now Peter Ackroyd's retelling brings his timeless story of love, heroism and betrayal to new life for our times.<br><br>Sir Thomas Malory (c.1405-1471) was a knight and estate owner in the mid 15th century, who spent many years in prison for political crimes as well as robbery. He wrote <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i>, the first great English prose epic, while imprisoned in Newgate. <br><br>Peter Ackroyd (b. 1949) is an award-winning writer and historian. Formerly literary editor of <i>The Spectator</i> and chief book reviewer for the <i>The Times</i>, he is the author of novels such as <i>Hawksmoor</i> (1985) and <i>The House of Doctor Dee </i>(1993), as well as non-fiction including<i> Dickens: Public Life and Private Passion</i> (2002), <i>London: The Biography </i>(2000), and <i>Thames: Sacred River</i> (2007). <br><br>If you enjoyed <i>The Death of King Arthur</i>, you might like Ackroyd's <i>The Canterbury Tales</i>, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.<br><br>'I admire this version enormously ... This story has to move with both swiftness and dignity, and yoking those two qualities together is not an easy task; but Ackroyd does it with ease'<br>Philip Pullman, author of <i>His Dark Materials </i>trilogy <br><br>'Ackroyd's lightly trimmed and streamlined <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> makes it eminently readable' <br><i>Sunday Times</i></p> <p>A gripping retelling of the timeless epic of romance, enchantment and adventure, Peter Ackroyd's <i>The Death of King Arthur </i>recasts Sir Thomas Malory's <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> in clear, compelling modern English prose, published in Penguin Classics.<br><br>'In the old wild days of the world there was a King of England known as Uther Pendragon; he was a dragon in wrath as well as in power ...'<br><br>Born with the help of Merlin's magic, blessed with the sword of Excalibur, Arthur becomes King of a troubled England, beginning a golden age of chivalry at the court of Camelot. But his reign is soon to be torn apart by violence, revenge and tragedy ...<br>Sir Thomas Malory's <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> made the legend of King Arthur immortal. Now Peter Ackroyd's retelling brings his timeless story of love, heroism and betrayal to new life for our times.<br><br>Sir Thomas Malory (c.1405-1471) was a knight and estate owner in the mid 15th century, who spent many years in prison for political crimes as well as robbery. He wrote <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i>, the first great English prose epic, while imprisoned in Newgate. <br><br>Peter Ackroyd (b. 1949) is an award-winning writer and historian. Formerly literary editor of <i>The Spectator</i> and chief book reviewer for the <i>The Times</i>, he is the author of novels such as <i>Hawksmoor</i> (1985) and <i>The House of Doctor Dee </i>(1993), as well as non-fiction including<i> Dickens: Public Life and Private Passion</i> (2002), <i>London: The Biography </i>(2000), and <i>Thames: Sacred River</i> (2007). <br><br>If you enjoyed <i>The Death of King Arthur</i>, you might like Ackroyd's <i>The Canterbury Tales</i>, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.<br><br>'I admire this version enormously ... This story has to move with both swiftness and dignity, and yoking those two qualities together is not an easy task; but Ackroyd does it with ease'<br>Philip Pullman, author of <i>His Dark Materials </i>trilogy <br><br>'Ackroyd's lightly trimmed and streamlined <i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> makes it eminently readable' <br><i>Sunday Times</i></p>