Arthur led the Britons to the brink of victory but was cut down by treachery and betrayal. Arthurian legends have since been corrupted, leading to popular but false assumptions about the king and the belief that his grave could never be found. Drawing on a vast range of sources and new translations of early British and Gaelic poetry, Arthur explodes these myths and exposes the shocking truth. In this, the first full biography of Arthur, Simon Andrew Stirling provides a range of proofs that Artuir mac Aedain was the original King Arthur; he identifies the original Camelot, the site of Arthur's last battle and his precise burial location. For the first time ever, the role played by the early Church in Arthur's downfall and the fall of North Britain is also revealed. This includes the Church's contribution to fabricated Arthurian history, the unusual circumstances of his burial and the extraordinary history of the sacred isle on which he was buried.
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About the Author
SIMON ANDREW STIRLING has been a professional writer for twenty years, with credits including science and history programmes for the Open University and episodes of popular TV drama series. He received a Writers' Guild Award in 1995 for his work on the BBC's Between the Lines. A former tour-guide at Barcaldine Castle, Argyll, Simon now live in Evesham.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Beware of any book on the post-Roman period that does not have either a bibliography, notes or provide evidence for the interpretations of people by the author.
Beware any book of this period that does not acknowledge David Dumville, who gave study of this period a good "kick up the backside" with his rigorous study of the sources.
Stirling writes well but, having studied the archaeological and documentary evidence in depth, I have to admit he has fallen into a lot of traps of studying the period in his enthusiasm for "proving" the Gaelic Arthur was the one of legend. This Procrustian approach does not work.
An in-depth study of the known personalities of the period, such as Ambrosius Aurelianus, Riothamus or even the later Roman period and the raids beyond the wall all need a readable account to bring them to the general reader.
A failure, but an honourable one.
Beware any book of this period that does not acknowledge David Dumville, who gave study of this period a good "kick up the backside" with his rigorous study of the sources.
Stirling writes well but, having studied the archaeological and documentary evidence in depth, I have to admit he has fallen into a lot of traps of studying the period in his enthusiasm for "proving" the Gaelic Arthur was the one of legend. This Procrustian approach does not work.
An in-depth study of the known personalities of the period, such as Ambrosius Aurelianus, Riothamus or even the later Roman period and the raids beyond the wall all need a readable account to bring them to the general reader.
A failure, but an honourable one.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is an interesting hypothesis but still an open question in my mind . Myth and legend well written but unprovable
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By C. Peace
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
With its wealth of historical and mythical information, this book is a truly fascinating read. I loved the lyrical sound of the Celtic and Gaelic names, and the author's deep knowledge of his subject shone through clearly. I was effortlessly guided back through the ages to a time of warring tribes, warrior kings and early Christian saints; secretive Druidic cults and ancient bards.Simon Stirling wields a masterful pen as he skilfully unpicks the deliberate web of deceit and misdirection surrounding the figures of Arthur, `Merlin' and Taliesin, to reveal the human beings beneath.
Despite my interest in the premise behind this book I confess I was reluctant to have the trappings of legend stripped away from my idea of `King Arthur' (probably because I'm an author of fantasy novels!). After reading it, however, I find I can appreciate and admire the man of history while leaving the myth untouched. I now have a longing to visit the places of Arthur's great battles, to walk beside his grave, and to admire for myself the great cauldron that came to be known as the Holy Grail.
I would recommend this fascinating and well written book to anyone with a love of history, a taste for drama, or simply a desire to understand how legends are formed.
Despite my interest in the premise behind this book I confess I was reluctant to have the trappings of legend stripped away from my idea of `King Arthur' (probably because I'm an author of fantasy novels!). After reading it, however, I find I can appreciate and admire the man of history while leaving the myth untouched. I now have a longing to visit the places of Arthur's great battles, to walk beside his grave, and to admire for myself the great cauldron that came to be known as the Holy Grail.
I would recommend this fascinating and well written book to anyone with a love of history, a taste for drama, or simply a desire to understand how legends are formed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
From the heart
I first read this book knowing that it had been roundly criticized by others.
As a Scot, I may have a biased view, but I found this, on a second reading to be a thoroughly... Read more
As a Scot, I may have a biased view, but I found this, on a second reading to be a thoroughly... Read more
Published 7 months ago by jminelly
4.0 out of 5 stars
Arthur's bloody world
As someone with a passing interest in history, I have long been aware that the King Arthur of my childhood - clad head to toe in armour, living in a grand, turreted castle - did... Read more
Published 10 months ago by A R Etherington
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tragic and Triumphant
The King Arthur Conspiracy reads, in one sense, like a literary detective novel, in another like a Shakespearean tragedy. Read more
Published 10 months ago by John M. Gist
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