King of the Middle March (Arthur) [Hardcover]

"The trilogy is an ambitious and brilliantly realised work, which informs and astounds." (Joanne Owen, Borders Bookshop Bookseller Buyer's Guide Highlights, 11 Jun 03 )

"...the multi-layered conclusion to a most original trilogy...The style is distinctive; short, kaleidoscopic chapters marked by uncluttered, precise sentences. Legend and historical fact are subtly intertwined to make an exciting medieval adventure relevant to today's conflicts and beliefs." (Lesley Agnew The Bookseller, 25 July 2003 )

"If you like a good historical saga then you've probably already read The Seeing Stone and At the Crossing-Places, the first two-thirds of Kevin Crossley-Holland's Arthur Trilogy. King of the Middle March weighs in at 432 pages and is a fairly chunky read...At times funny, at times magical and at times dark, King of the Middle March more than repays the effort" (John Crace Guardian Children's Books Supplement, Autumn 2003 )

"Crossley-Holland is, of course, a poet, and the simplicity, musicality and laconic directness of his writing reflects this." (The Independent, 31 October 2003 )

"...a dramatic conlusion to what has been a wonderfully inventive perspective on Arthurian legend...full of contemporary relevance." (Hampstead & Highgate Express, 30 Oct 03 )

"With King of the Middle March, Kevin Crossley-Holland triumphantly concludes his trilogy about the two Arthurs...Arthur's breathless diary entries have an immediacy and wonder" (Jan Mark Times Educational Supplement, 14 Nov 03 )

"...conjures up a vivid picture of medieval life combined with the magic of Arthurian legends." (Financial Times, 29 Nov 03 )

"King of the Middle March makes a fitting elegiac end to a remarkably grown-up sequence." (Guardian, 29 November 2003 )

"…the multi-layered conclusion to a most original trilogy…an exciting medieval adventure relevant to today's conflicts and beliefs."

Crossley-Holland is, of course, a poet, and the simplicity, musicality and laconic directness of his writing reflects this.

King of the Middle March makes a fitting elegiac end to a remarkably grown-up sequence.

...Arthurian legend...[and] brutal action... [create] both a historical adventure and a timeless meditation about the futility of war.

A beautifully produced book, a treat to hold and to read: a wonderful achievement.

The writing is beautiful…the story is action-packed…will be enjoyed by adults as well as children.

Tightly-written and full of menacing suspense.

"The trilogy is an ambitious and brilliantly realised work, which informs and astounds."

"Crossley-Holland is, of course, a poet, and the simplicity, musicality and laconic directness of his writing reflects this."

It is 1202, and thousands of knights and footsoldiers are mustering in Venice for the Fourth Crusade. Among them is young Arthur de Caldicot, squire to Lord Stephen. It is thrilling to be part of this huge gathering; but as Christian falls upon Christian and Saracens draw their scimitars, Arthur's eyes are opened to the realities of war. Looking into his seeing stone for guidance, he realises that the exploits of King Arthur and his knights, like those of the crusaders, are as grim as they are glorious. Meanwhile Arthur has his own concerns: Gatty, his betrothal, his dream of finding his mother, his relationship with his violent father and his churlish foster-brother. When he finally returns to England, all he has lost and all he has won come together. War, romance, murder, family quarrels, power politics, the conflict between Christianity and Islam: all these are elements in a story packed with drama and colour. Its vivid picture of daily life in medieval times is shot through with earthy comedy and the magic of the Arthurian legends. Darker and deeper than the first two books, this is a marvellous ending to a trilogy that has utterly captivated its readers.

Kevin Crossley-Holland won the Carnegie Medal in 1985 for STORM. His many notable books for adults and children include poetry, classic retellings and anthologies. He has written and presented many BBC radio programmes and is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.