KING ARTHUR AND THE GRAIL QUEST: MYTH AND VISION FROM CELTIC TIMES TO THE PRESENT.

London: Brockhampton, 1998. 159 pp, 10" H. B&w and colour illustrations - photographs, reproductions, maps. "Two great narrative themes, which link the sacred and the secular, have been passed down to us from the Dark Ages. These are the stories of the heroic, godlike Arthur and of a mystic object of quest, the Holy Grail. John Matthews has created an easily understood survey of the origins and merging of these epic themes and stories It is a richly woven tapestry of myth and legend, and of love and desire - both sacred and profane. It covers city and temple, knights and monks, and ranges far and wide, from Camelot to Carbonek. In gathering together the strands that make up the stories, the author has examined many of the hundred or so extant texts. He has selected from these - some still untranslated and obscure - to show how the two great themes changed and developed down the centuries as they became inextricably joined. (This book) provides a fascinating survey as well as including five of the traditional stories, retold by the author. In addition, there is a full summary of all sources and an extensive bibliography." . Hard Cover. Fine/Near Fine. Illus. by Steven Brown..