Jump on a daring adventure against time and see the wonders of the world in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, unabridged and illustrated in this special edition.Mr. Phileas Fogg is not your typical Englishman. He may be a routine-loving timekeeping gentleman, but when adventure knocks on his door one evening at his local club, he bets half his fortune on a daring bet to complete a seemingly impossible task: travel around the world in 80 days.To his good fortune, his loyal French valet Passepartout, curious, capable, and brave, is by his side. And when their journey takes them on a race against the clock from the busy docks of Victorian London to the Wild West and the treacherous jungles of India, Phileas and Passepartout will have to face every adventure that comes their way with courage. But they don’t know that their every move is watched and a detective follows them, waiting for the mistake that will bring everything down. As the deadline draws near, Phileas knows that if they don’t make it back to London in time, all their efforts will be lost. Can they make it?Find out in Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, a breathtaking portrait of the 19th-century world’s splendor and technological change – the perfect book for readers who love adventure, history, and eccentric characters.Discover exclusive features in this brand-new version of the beloved classic:More than 50 original illustrations from the 1873 James R. Osgood edition.A fun quiz to test your knowledge of facts and trivia at the end of the book.A modern cover design for your collection.Easy reading layout for young and adult readers.A fun and fast-paced adventure with brilliant characters, Around the World in Eighty Days completes every library collection. Get your copy and experience the adventure of a lifetime today! Read more

Bulfinch's Mythology is the ultimate collection of myths and legends that have inspired countless generations.This timeless masterpiece is divided into three volumes: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, and Legends of Charlemagne, each of which is a must-listen for anyone who loves mythology and legends. In The Age of Fable, you will be transported to the world of ancient Greece and Rome, where you will encounter the stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes like Zeus, Athena, and Hercules. In The Age of Chivalry, you will journey to the medieval world of knights, castles, and dragons, and discover the legends of King Arthur, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. And finally in Legends of Charlemagne, you will explore the epic tales of Charlemagne and his paladins, including the famous story of Roland. This classic work is not only entertaining, but also educational, providing a window into the beliefs, values, and cultural practices of ancient and medieval civilizations. It is a must-have for anyone interested in literature, history, or mythology.American author and banker Thomas Bulfinch (1796–1867) is best known for his book Bulfinch's Mythology, a thorough compendium of myths and stories from all across the world.When Bulfinch's Mythology was originally released in 1855, both America and Europe were becoming more interested in myths and stories from the distant past. As academics and authors looked to rediscover the literary and aesthetic traditions of the past, the middle of the 19th century was a time of cultural and intellectual upheaval. In this regard, Bulfinch's Mythology was a component of a larger initiative to rekindle interest in classical and medieval literature and to delve deeper into its symbolic and spiritual significance.Bulfinch's Mythology became an immediate hit, and has been a well-liked reference source ever since. The book gained great acclaim in the United States, where it was adopted as a required text in educational institutions. Its accessibility and interesting writing made it a useful tool for literature, history, and mythology students, and it also helped many become familiar with the vast and intricate world of ancient and medieval narrative.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

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This volume offers newly translated texts that exemplify the two most important traditions of Arthurian literature in the Middle Ages. Encompassing such key works such as Lawman's Brut and Wace's Romance of Brut, written in Middle English and Old French, respectively, the Arthurian Epic Tradition depends on Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, written in Latin. Many modern readers are more familiar with Arthur and his fabled court as the centerpiece of a massive fictional tradition, well represented in the second part of this volume, including Chretien de Troyes's Story of the Grail, The Quest of the Holy Grail, and the Perlesvaus. These selections emphasize the connection between secular and religious understandings of chivalry that is the most distinctive quality of medieval Arthurian romance. Useful as a classroom text, the volume provides material for a semester's worth of study. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here. Read more

The Ballad of the White Horse is a poem by Gilbert Keith Chesterton that was first published in 1911. It is primarily about King Alfred's victory over the Danes in 878, but it also elaborates on the conflict between native Celtic religions and Christianity. Chesterton uses the mysterious image of the Vale of the White Horse as a representation of the traditions that preserve humanity.The poem is composed of eight books, including The Harp of Alfred and The Slaying of the Chiefs. It starts with Alfred being abandoned by his allies to face the invading Danish forces alone. He receives divine intervention from the Virgin Mary, who encourages him to reclaim his kingdom. Alfred then launches a war that culminates in total victory.Chesterton completes the poem by tackling the issues of peace. In particular, the author describes the situation where warriors who have achieved victory in battle now have to fight corruption at home. This is symbolized by the fact that when Alfred returns from war, he finds that weeds have grown over the White Horse.The Ballad of the White Horse was often cited by British leaders during the early days of the Second World War. It has also had a significant impact on other authors and English literature. Read more

Dive into the waters of the Lady of the Lake, sometimes known as Nimue.Nimue is a recurring character in Arthurian legends. Most commonly, she is the lady of the lake - custodian of Excalibur. She is a seer, a guardian - mysterious and powerful.Nimue will keep you safe as you work your way from the water lily-like centre to the edges of the lake and beyond. You will encounter challenges as you progress, but there are many tranquil sections to rest between adventures. When those challenges arise, Nimue will guide you with her wise counsel.Come on a crochet quest with me to make the Nimue Crochet Blanket. Inside you'll find;written pattern in UK & US termscharts - right and left-handedvideo of all rounds - right-handed and mirrored for the left-handeddetailed, round by round help with close up photosa full glossary detailing all stitches and techniques usedyarn needs for 4 different samples made in different yarn weightsNimue will be your guiding light, helping you create a crochet heirloom with ease.The Nimue Crochet Blanket begins with the Nymph pattern from my Granny Square Patchwork book. This pattern is then extended to become the Avalon centrepiece. Avalon is surrounded by a verge of Caltha squares, before your quest for Nimue is completed.Skill LevelIf you can crochet a granny square, and know the most common stitches and techniques, you have all the skills you need to embark on your Nimue adventure. With the support in the pattern, anyone with basic skills and a willingness to try new things will succeed. Read more

A rarity of enormous interest, this refurbished Hebrew translation of an Arthurian romance is the only known text of its kind in existence. Based on the writings of an anonymous Italian Jew in 1279, the author presents two stories. The first relates Merlin's role in the seductions of Igerna by Pendragon and the consequent birth of Arthur. The second tells of Arthur's rise to royal glory, of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere, his meeting with the Maid of Askalot, and his skill at a jousting tournament. This romance exists in a unique copy at the Vatican Library, which Curt Leviant personally examined. He offers a highly readable version of that text in corrected Hebrew with graceful English transliteration on facing pages, and an analysis of Jewish aspects of the piece. He also traces its origins to an Old French tale. Not just a literary curiosity, this is at once fine scholarship and compelling proof of the vibrant interaction between Judaism and other cultures of medieval Europe. Read more

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A Stanford University Press classic. Read more

The Quest of the Holy Grail adds a spiritual dimension to the adventures of Arthur's knights. Galahad replaces Lancelot as the central figure, though he appears and disappears so often that many of the knights are engaged in a quest to find him rather than the Grail. The central concept of the Grail was never accepted by the Church, and the Quest remains a secular romance which can be interpreted as a spiritual allegory. This is done by the hermits who appear throughout the story, pointing out the meaning of each adventure. The adventures have a strong element of the magical and otherworldly, and the story is more closely structured than Lancelot, with the accomplishment of the Grail adventure by Galahad, Perceval and Bors as its centre and culmination. For a full description of the Vulgate Cycle see the blurb for the complete set. Read more

The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is both a critical history of the Arthurian tradition and a reference guide to Arthurian works, names, characters, symbols, and places. Seven essays offer a comprehensive survey of the legends in all of their manifestations, from their origins in medieval literature to their adaptation in modern literature, arts, film, and popular culture. It also demonstrates the tremendous continuity of the legends by examining the ways that they have been reinterpreted over the years. The indispensable reference on the subject, it also contains encyclopedic entries, bibliographies, and a comprehensive index. The extensive chapter-by-chapter bibliographies, which are subdivided by topic, augment the general bibliography of Arthurian resources. Comprehensive in its analysis and hypertextual in its approach, the Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is an essential reference book for Arthurian scholars, medievalists, and for those interested in cultural studies of myth and legend. Read more

The Romance of Arthur, James J. Wilhelm’s classic anthology of Arthurian literature, is an essential text for students of the medieval Romance tradition. This fully updated third edition presents a comprehensive reader, mapping the course of Arthurian literature, and is expanded to cover: key authors such as Chrétien de Troyes and Thomas of Britain, as well as Arthurian texts by women and more obscure sources for Arthurian romance extensive coverage of key themes and characters in the tradition a wide geographical range of texts including translations from Latin, French, German, Spanish, Welsh, Middle English, and Italian sources a broad chronological range of texts, encompassing nearly a thousand years of Arthurian romance. Norris J. Lacy builds on the book’s source material, presenting readers with a clear introduction to many accessible modern-spelling versions of Arthurian texts. The extracts are presented in a new reader-friendly format with detailed suggestions for further reading and illustrations of key places, figures, and scenes. The Romance of Arthur provides an excellent introduction and an extensive resource for both students and scholars of Arthurian literature. Read more

It is hard to overstate the importance of this trilogy of prose romances in the development of the legend of the Holy Grail and in the evolution of Arthurian literature as a whole. They give a crucial new impetus to the story of the Grail by establishing a provenance for the sacred vessel - and for the Round Table itself - in the Biblical past; and through the controlling figure of Merlin they link the story of Joseph of Arimathea with the mythical Britishhistory of Vortigern and Utherpendragon, the birth of Arthur, and the sword in the stone, and then with the knightly adventures of Perceval's Grail quest and the betrayal and death of Arthur, creating the very first Arthurian cycle. Ambitious, original and complete in its conception, this trilogy - translated here for the first time - is a finely paced, vigorous piece of storytelling that provides an outstanding example of the essentially oral nature of early prose.NIGEL BRYANT is head of drama at Marlborough College. He has also provided editions in English of the anonymous thirteenth-century romance Perlesvaus, published as The High Book of the Grail, and Chretien's Perceval: The Story of the Grail. Read more

Erec and Enide marks the birth of the Arthurian romance as a literary genre. Written circa 1170, this version of the Griselda legend tells the story of the marriage of Erec, a handsome and courageous Welsh prince and knight of the Round Table, and Enide, an impoverished noblewoman. When the lovers become estranged because Erec neglects his knightly obligations, they subsequently ride off together on a series of adventures that culminate in their reconciliation and the liberation of a captive knight in an enchanted orchard.An innovative poet working during a time of great literary creativity, Chrétien de Troyes wrote poems that had a lively pace, skillful structure, and vivid descriptive detail. Ruth Harwood Cline re-creates for modern audiences his irony, humor, and charm, while retaining the style and substance of the original octosyllabic couplets. Her thorough introduction includes discussions of courtly love and the Arthurian legend in history and literature, as well as a new and provocative theory about the identity of Chrétien de Troyes. This clearly presented translation, faithful in preserving the subtle expressive qualities of the original work, is accessible reading for any Arthurian legend aficionado and an ideal text for students of medieval literature. Read more

The Story of Merlin depicts the role of the seer Merlin in the conception and birth of Arthur, who is to rescue Britain from the Saxons and establish an ideal kingdom. It follows Arthur's career as he is designated king bythe magical sign of the Sword in the Stone, triumphs over his rebellious barons and drives out the Saxons. With his marriage to Guinevere, he acquires the Round Table, and sets up the famous order of knighthood which is at the centre of his power. The Merlin was written after the last three romances of the Vulgate Cycle were already complete, and serves as a prologue to the history of Arthur, just as the History of the Holy Grail is theprologue to the adventures of the Grail. For a full description of the Vulgate Cycle see the blurb for the complete set. Read more

Lancelot is the central romance of the Vulgate Cycle, in which the chivalric elements in Arthur's court come to the fore. These chivalric elements contain the seeds of Arthur's destruction and the dissolution of the Round Table, as Lancelot's love for Guinevere undermines his bond to Arthur; the tension between love, prowess and loyalty is the undercurrent of the long romance which describes the exploits which he performs in her service. It also includes many stories which are chivalric adventures largely unrelated to the main theme, and uses the device of interweaving these stories to form a huge stream of narrative. This series of episodic pictures leads ultimately to thebirth of Lancelot's son Galahad, who is destined to become the hero of the Grail. Parts five and six of Lancelot move nearer to the beginning of the Grail quest; Lancelot comes to the Grail castle, and is deceived intosleeping with Elaine, thinking that she is Guinevere; Galahad is born of their union. Arthur's wars with Rome are retold from the original chronicle versions, and Lancelot plays a major part in the king's victory. Lancelot is deceived again when Elaine comes to Arthur's court, and when Guinevere realises that he has slept with Elaine; she banishes him from court, and he goes mad with grief. The romance ends with Lancelot's return to sanity and the arrivalof Galahad at court. For a full description of the Vulgate Cycle see the blurb for the complete set. Read more

In this verse translation of Perceval; or, The Story of the Grail, Ruth Harwood Cline restores to life the thematically crucial Arthurian tale of the education of a knight in his search for the Holy Grail.Cline's translation, faithful to the highly synthetic, deliberately ornate nature of medieval French, follows Perceval from his home in Wales, through his rich and raucous adventures as a member of the fraternity of knights, to his climactic meeting with the Fisher King. Paralyzed by his first glimpse of the Grail, Perceval fails to save the ailing king. Distraught, the knight begins a new quest for the Grail, a journey on the road of penitence and faith. Perceval's venture, the true test of his knighthood, ends without conclusion; the death of author Chrétien de Troyes left unsaid and undetermined the success of Perceval's quest. Read more