The History of the Kings of Britain

Geoffrey of Monmouth, Lewis Thorpe, Lewis Thorpe

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English

Penguin Classics
01 July 1978

Geoffrey of Monmouth's history - or legend - of the earliest kings of Britain

Completed in 1136, The History of the Kings of Britain traces the story of the realm from its supposed foundation by Brutus to the coming of the Saxons some two thousand years later. Vividly portraying legendary and semi-legendary figures such as Lear, Cymbeline, Merlin the magician and the most famous of all British heroes, King Arthur, it is as much myth as it is history and its veracity was questioned by other medieval writers. But Geoffrey of Monmouth's powerful evocation of illustrious men and deeds captured the imagination of subsequent generations, and his influence can be traced

through the works of Malory, Shakespeare, Dryden and Tennyson.

By: Geoffrey of Monmouth
Introduction by: Lewis Thorpe
Translated by: Lewis Thorpe
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 281g
ISBN: 9780140441703
ISBN 10: 0140441700
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 01 July 1978
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Translated with an Introduction by Lewis Thorpe Introduction 1. Geoffrey's Purpose 2. Who was Geoffrey of Monmouth? 3. Geoffrey's Sources 4. The Work Itself 5. Geoffrey the Artist 6. Geoffrey of Monmouth down the Centuries 7. Editions of the Historia 8. Earlier Translations 9. This Translation 10. Acknowledgments Notes to the Introduction Short Bibliography of Works Used in the Introduction and in the Notes Map of Britain Dedication Part One: Brutus Occupies the Island of Albion Part Two: Before the Romans Came Part Three: The Coming of the Romans Part Four: The House of Constantine Part Five: The Prophecies of Merlin Part Six: The House of Constantine (Continued) Part Seven: Arthur of Britain Part Eight: The Saxon Domination Time Chart Index

Very little is known of Geoffrey of Monmouth. He seems to have lived for a time in Oxford and in 1151 he became Bishop Elect of St Asaph, North Wales. He was ordained at Westminster in 1152. According to the Welsh Chronicles he died in 1155. Lewis Thorpe was Professor of French at Nottingham University from 1958 to 1977. He has published many books and articles on Arthur, both on the French and English traditions. He died in 1977.