Malory

The Life and Times of King Arthur's Chronicler

Christina Hardyment

$41.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Perennial Library
16 October 2006

Biography: literary; Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800; Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers; History

The extaordinary life of Sir Thomas Malory, author of the ‘Morte d’Arthur’.

Sir Thomas Malory’s ‘Morte d’Arthur’ (1469) is one of the best-known books in the world. Virtually all modern versions of the Arthurian legends are derived from its energetic, memorably phrased and remarkably individual telling of the stirring exploits of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Yet the identity of the 15h-century knight who wrote it has remained an enigma for centuries. Only in the last few years has it become possible to construct a convincing life story for him.

His life was constantly eventful, marked by great achievement, desperate situations and, at times, deep disgrace. He was an experienced soldier, a star performer at tournaments, a connoisseur of literature, connected to the great and the good, yet he also escaped from prison twice, and was accused of terrible crimes ranging from assault and cattle-rustling to attacks on abbeys and even rape. The foremost chronicler of the legends of the Knights of the Round Table almost certainly wrote much of his great work while imprisoned.

Christina Hardyment writes his life story whilst also writing a social history of a fascinating period of English history, an age that marked the high-water mark of medieval chivalry but which was also an essential bridge from the Middle Ages to modern. The book is well furnished with details of clothes, food and domestic interiors, to say nothing of hunting, falconry and jousting techniques, and is a sumptuous work that fleshes out the man and the period in glorious detail. An entertaining book, guided by academic rigour in its scholarship and research.

By: Christina Hardyment
Imprint: Perennial Library
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 470g
ISBN: 9780007114887
ISBN 10: 0007114885
Pages: 680
Publication Date: 16 October 2006
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Christina Hardyment read history at Cambridge and held the Alistair Horne Writing Fellowship for historians at St Antony's College, where she is now a Senior Associate Member. Since 1983 she has been writing books and journalism on historical, social and literary topics concerned with the family and with the study of authors in their settings.

Reviews for Malory: The Life and Times of King Arthur's Chronicler

"'How refreshing to read a biography which is actually on the side of its subject ! Of the many remarkable feats accomplished in this book, the greatest is the desire it provokes to read Malory's masterpiece again ! lively and readable ! Christina Hardyment has done the memory of earnest, erring, passionate Sir Thomas Malory a huge service.' Independent on Sunday 'This is a book which any reader interested in the middle ages should try for themselves.' Guardian 'Hardyment's excellent biography, is like the ""Morte Darthur"", a text for its times.' Independent 'Meticulous ! ingenious ! vividly portrayed ! Christina Hardyment's book is a persuasive attempt to rehabilitate a tarnished icon.' Daily Telegraph 'Hardyment's imagination is certainly vivid. Her description of Malory's christening is a memorable performance, with flaming torches, flickering candles, the superstitious placing of a crust of bread under the baby's mattress to keep witches away ! Such theatricality is well suited to the period ! This biography does remind us of the marvels of Malory's book ! The power of Malory's storytelling beats through Hardyment's account of the life.' New Statesman"