- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; First Edition edition (12 Aug 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 029764324X
- ISBN-13: 978-0297643241
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 99,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Describing himself as an "amateur historian" Alistair Moffat delves into the history of his local area in lowland Scotland and discovers a possible new identity for the man behind the legends of King Arthur. He asserts that although Arthur's person and influence did reach southern Britain his base of power was in fact in the Scottish Borders. Arthur becomes crucial to the shaping of the Britain we know today and to the creation of a powerful Scotland which remained a nation for 1000 years even though his legend becomes associated with South-west England and Wales, thus masking the glories of Dark Age Celtic Scotland. The text is packed with fascinating clues to life in the Celtic past gleaned from traditional cultural practices (there is an enthralling section on tree lore) and changing place names--evidence which Moffat claims is often unreasonably disregarded by historians. His new "common sense" deductions are combined with succinct coverage of the documentary and archaeological evidence. Those who have read other books on Arthur will find a new dimension in Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms. Readers new to the subject should find that the book provides a vivid and thought-provoking introduction to Arthur and his times through a lively, intricate and personalised text. Historians will no doubt find plenty to grapple with. --Karen Tiley
Product Description
Moffat builds up a thesis which enables him to reveal the location and identity of the real Arthur, argueing that he was not a king but a cavalry general chosen around 500AD to lead a coalition army. The key to Moffat's thesis lies in place-names and their derivation, and that the lost medieval city of Roxburgh and its castle were Arthur's Camelot.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book which inspired the latest 'King Arthur' movie, this volume is written by a man who rigorously points to his own lack of credentials as an historian. Alistair Moffat nevertheless identifies one major factor which is largely lost in much popular history - the people who inhabited what is now the borders of Scotland were, until the Romans arrived, Welsh speaking. Their legacy can be found in the place names of southern Scotland and northern England. The Roman invasion drove the Welsh speakers into what is now Wales, and left the peoples of the Lowlands of Scotland and the north of England to be colonised by other cultures.
Moffat is largely dependent on linguistic inquiry, trying to make sense of Celtic traditions and languages which had never been written down. He considers how Britain came to that name - it was from the Roman colonial name of 'Britannia'. No one living on the island had considered themselves 'British' until the Romans came. 'Britannia', itself, comes from a corruption of the Roman geographer, Ptolemy's description of Albion as a "Prettanic isle" - 'prettanic' appearing to allude to the painted men who occupied it. Albion? Moffat points out that 'Alba', the contemporary Gaelic word for Scotland, originated from the description of the white cliffs of Dover - the Latin 'alba' means white. Hence we get 'Albion', meaning Britain.
Moffat uncovers much interesting material like this, and, despite his deconstruction of language, his writing style is accessible and very readable.
However, he seems to be dogged by an assumption that somehow the whole of Britain had some sort of cohesive, national identity, despite being broken up into recognisable kingdoms, harassed by barbaric tribes like the Caledonians or Hibernians. His search for Arthur is for a man who lived in the Scottish borders, Moffat's home (and mine). His Arthur is a post-Roman warlord who unites the native Celts against invaders, giving them a British identity ... and whose legacy and history will later be corrupted by the invading Anglo-Saxons as they try to establish their historic rights to the island.
Moffat does seem to get a bit confused in places - and there are some significant errors in his analysis and his history. He argues, for instance, that there are hundreds, if not thousands of places named after Arthur in Britain; he concludes that this points to there being a real Arthur around the time of the Roman departure from the island. It could equally point to a folklore 'Arthur' (or many such characters) dating back centuries before.
It's an entertaining read, it does give a perspective on how legends can become real in pre-literate societies and literate ones, and it's a book which should stimulate you to think about the culture and heritage of the borders of Scotland, but, as for his identification of the 'real' Arthur as a Romanised war leader, well, I was still left unconvinced.
Format:Paperback
The idea that an actual, or semi-mythical Arthur, was a highly successful cavalry leader in post-Roman Britain, maintaining Roman traditions, is not a new one. Related ideas have been in existence since the 1970s if not before. Robert Graves, in his novel about the Roman general Belisarius, pointed out that if Arthur had existed and had access to a biographer of the status of that of Belisarius, the legendary British king would have been remembered as a real life flesh and blood figure with a "big-boned cavalry steed," not the Arthur of medieval romance. However, Alistair Moffat has some new, well-argued and extremely well-written suggestions to build a more rounded and believable image of a leader of Arthur's type - and of course, there may well have been more than one such. Alistair Moffat may not claim the status of historian for himself, but his combination of personal, intuitive local knowledge plus rigorous research and readability results in a memorable and genuine history that impresses.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Life is too short to read the same book twice (I buy far more books than I could possibly read). I have read this book 3 times and know I'll read it again.
This is an extremely readable history, which recounts the struggle of the Ancient Britons (Welsh & Scots) against the Anglo Saxons (English), with Arthur traversing Britain to counter the threat.
It places Arthur firmly in his historical context (before the later hijacking and medieval romance traditions) just in case you are looking for the round table and the Holy Grail.
From the first chapter this book overflows with fascinating facts, such as the origins of the Ancient British inscription "Teribus ye Teri Odin" in Hawick on the Scottish borders.
The book captures the romance and tragedy of the Gododdin, a British tribe (and the oldest British poem penned in Welsh by Aneurin) who fought and lost to the Angles in battle at Catraeth/Catterick.
The battle at Badon (West County) would make Roman Bath the obvious choice (Caer Baddon in Welsh where Caer = Fort/Fortress).
The ancient links between Wales and Scotland are remembered in the landscape and the place names. It is surprising how strong these links were preserved through the centuries, following the Anglo/Saxon wedge into the North West of Britain.
This book gives a fascinating insight into the formative years of British history and the nations which would one day become Wales, Scotland and England.
A must read for fans of Arthur and the wider British/Celtic audience, which may explain why some reviewers resort to the sour grapes.
This is an extremely readable history, which recounts the struggle of the Ancient Britons (Welsh & Scots) against the Anglo Saxons (English), with Arthur traversing Britain to counter the threat.
It places Arthur firmly in his historical context (before the later hijacking and medieval romance traditions) just in case you are looking for the round table and the Holy Grail.
From the first chapter this book overflows with fascinating facts, such as the origins of the Ancient British inscription "Teribus ye Teri Odin" in Hawick on the Scottish borders.
The book captures the romance and tragedy of the Gododdin, a British tribe (and the oldest British poem penned in Welsh by Aneurin) who fought and lost to the Angles in battle at Catraeth/Catterick.
The battle at Badon (West County) would make Roman Bath the obvious choice (Caer Baddon in Welsh where Caer = Fort/Fortress).
The ancient links between Wales and Scotland are remembered in the landscape and the place names. It is surprising how strong these links were preserved through the centuries, following the Anglo/Saxon wedge into the North West of Britain.
This book gives a fascinating insight into the formative years of British history and the nations which would one day become Wales, Scotland and England.
A must read for fans of Arthur and the wider British/Celtic audience, which may explain why some reviewers resort to the sour grapes.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Totally disappointing
My copy must be different from that book the others have reviewed as mine contained an almost total lack of any decent evidence.
Published on 10 Sep 2009 by Mr. Nicholas W. Le Huquet
Food for thought?
The premises behind the essential point (ie that Arthur was a successful miltary leader based in the later border region of Scotland) are very well-structured and... Read more
Published on 24 May 2007 by Richard Sewell
A Fresh Perspective
Alistair Moffat is not a stuffy academic and his book is a thoroughly refreshing piece of research. However, like all Arthurian theories, you have to take his opinions with a pinch... Read more
Published on 20 May 2003 by M. Western
A fascinating, new approach to history
Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms is a history book with a difference. The author has built a thesis of the existence of Camelot in the Scottish Borders based not on Archaelogical... Read more
Published on 15 April 2001
fascinating interpretation of the Arthurian legend
In this book Alistair Moffat takes a new look at the legend of Arthur and using detailed research places him squarely in the Scottish Borders. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2001
The who, what, when and where was Arthur answered
A pearl of a book that answers plausibly and convincingly the who, what, when and where was Arthur. Well researched, well reasoned and well written. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 1999
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