The Search For King Arthur

by David Day

The Search for King Arthur invites readers on a journey of exploration that traces the evolution of Arthur from the earliest records of the historic Artorius to this day. Complemented by 170 glorious full-color illustrations, this fascinating narrative recounts the legend and all its incarnations, focusing not only on Arthur but on the people surrounding him.

Genres: Arthurian, Nonfiction, History, Mythology, Medieval, Reference, Biography

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

David Day (b. 14 October 1947 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a Canadian author of over forty books: poetry, natural history, ecology, mythology, fantasy, and children's literature. Internationally he is most notably known for his literary criticism on J. R. R. Tolkien and his works.

After finishing high school in Victoria, British Columbia, Day worked as a logger for five years on Vancouver Island before graduating from the University of Victoria. Subsequently he has travelled widely, most frequently to Greece and Britain.

Day has published six books of poems for adults and ten illustrated children's books of fiction and poetry. His non-fiction books on natural history include The Doomsday Book of Animals, The Whale War, Eco Wars: a Layman Guide to the Environmental Movement, Noah's Choice and most recently Nevermore: A Book of Hours - Meditations on Extinction (2012).

His Doomsday Book was a Time Magazine Book of the Year and became the basis for the 100 part animated-short TV series "Lost Animals of the 20th Century".

David Days best-selling books on the life and works of JRR Tolkien include: A Tolkien Bestiary, Tolkien: the Illustrated Encyclopedia, Tolkien's Ring, The World of Tolkien and The Hobbit Companion.

Day's Tolkien's Ring was illustrated by academy award-winning artist Alan Lee, as was Castles, The Animals Within, Gothic and Quest For King Arthur.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Arthurian goodness. This was more of a summary and short on details, but I'm trying to read as many of this type as possible, learning more about not only the stories and the characters but the possible historical precedents and connections to other mythology and literature - and taking notes for my own writing!

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting round-up of the inspiration behind some of the more common Arthur myths. I enjoyed reading it.

[Eli Wohlenhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. As a fan of Arthurian legends this gave phenomenal historical context for how these stories have withstood the test of time.

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was entertaining and descriptive, with wonderful illustrations and excerpts from orginal writings, although every once in a while the author seemed to be assuming that the reader would already have a fairly broad knowledge of the Arthurian legends and romanctic tales. The book includes a timeline with significant Arthurian works listed ... but I don't think that the list is all that concise or up to date. It's at least a decade old. It does include poems, fictional books and critical texts, as well as plays and movies though. I was fascinated by the linking of characters with real historical figures, and the how's and why's of their development throughout time. For instance, how Morgan le Fay was originally depicted as a wise woman and a healer, then Medieval priests turned her into a sorcerous and later into someone so vile that she would commit incest in order to undermine and destroy Arthur's authority ... onto today with how she is depicted as a torn, pagan, premodern feminist in Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" (which I have already written, unfavorably, about). Overall this book is excellent, although don't be fooled by the colorful pictures and bold type ... it's articulate and offers a lot to ponder upon and absorb.

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great overview of the Arthurian legends. It was so interesting to read about the actual King Arthur and how the legends about him have evolved over the years. The artwork was fantastic! It included pictures from Alan Lee, Burne-Jones, Waterhouse, Rackham, etc.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of Arthurian fact and legend.
Great illustrations, especially those of Alan Lee (of "Lord of the Rings" illustration fame).

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, of course. It read a little like a school research paper, but gave me a lot to think about regarding King Arthur myth vs. reality...which I love to read about almost more than anything!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was the most fun I've ever had doing research for a history assignment. Very interesting.

[Nicole Cober-Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

In *The Search for King Arthur,* David Day provides an overview of the crucial elements of the Arthurian tradition and discusses possible historical and literary sources for each. This is not a scholarly volume, but it's a very nice introduction to the ways in which various strands of mythic tradition have come together and, influenced by the rhetorical purposes of specific authors and periods, created the changing universe of tales we know today. The method of the book is a little different, as it interweaves short retellings of specific episodes with its discussion, making it a great resource for someone wishing to orient him or herself to the tradition. It also includes a really interesting array of Arthurian illustrations, paintings, and other works of art; unfortunately, the images are used only to illustrate Day's text, with no comment whatsoever about their value as texts illuminating attitudes toward the material in their own right. Although the book could have gone further and done more, I did pick up some new information, and it was an enjoyable, if light, read.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating rundown of how the legend of Arthur started based on at least two real-life Arthurs before growing, developing, and changing into those more familiar and found across popular culture. Day recaps how each change in the legend was thanks to the pressures of the time, not just from the political and powerful drivers of the time but also the societal drivers that led to Arthur being molded into who/what was wanted and needed at the time. Day also covers how these same drivers impacted all of the main characters of the Arthurian legends, the women especially as Morgan Le Fay, the Lady of the Lake, and Guinevere changed from the strong root characters to suit the changing views of women of the time (just as was done to Lilith and Eve). There isn't a huge amount of detail or analysis and Day does assume a certain amount of prior knowledge but this does make for a great introduction/starting off point for diving into the depths of the Legend of King Arthur.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect gateway to learning more about the history of ancient Britain and the surrounding lands. It takes you through each facet of Arthurian legend and explains the connections between that archetype and parallel stories in other cultures. Day does a masterful job of sprinkling in riveting history facts that kept me putting down the book and researching further. That’s why I enjoyed this book so much- while there are certainly more in-depth studies on Arthurian lore, this one walks a fine line between academic research and entertaining historical intrigue. I left this book with a new knowledge of ancient Britain and her peoples and with a thirst to learn even more.

[Jaide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though easy to read, not meant for a young audience as it mentions the adultery, incest and “ravaging” of the early—and mostly French—Arthurian texts. However, as someone who loved Howard Pyle’s book series, I found it very interesting to read about the historical and mythological elements that were woven together to create a timeless legend. (And I’ll definitely have to look up the various myths/poems/operas listed in the timeline.)

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of the legends, especially for newcomers to the party, as it were. It does lean heavily on the controversial theory that Arthur was a real warlord (controversial doesn't mean wrong, just hard to prove) but I have to credit it for forming a significant part of why I love the mythos to this day.

[Samantha Rooney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t finish this book. Noticed at least 3 peoples names were misspelled (2 real people and one fictional, non Arthurian character) and contained more a summation of the Arthurian legends and myths than real world inspiration, and light on details of actual people and events who had real world influence/inspiration on the Arthurian people

[Blasr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulously illustrated, beautiful re-telling of the life & legends that are King Arthur.

[Robin Bunbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, informative and it could even have been longer ❤

[GoodMeerHunting · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5. I love King Arthur stories.

[Matthew Richey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging, fun, and wonderfully illustrated, but questionable scholarship

[Yannick Peeters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een leuk informatief boek over het ontstaan van de legende van Koning Arthur. Veel mooie plaatjes van vroeger en ook goede uiteenzettingen over waar de legende oorspronkelijk vandaan komt.

[Pieter-Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to properly familiarize yourself with some of the most important characters, authors, origins and developments of the Arthurian mythology, this is a great book to start with.
David Day's book sure isn't an exhaustive study, but he manages to properly mix retelling, comparative analysis, mythography, etiology and the constant re-contextualization of the story.
Not lenghty, but nonetheless a book that delivers for someone just beginning to explore the once and future king's lore. It has some great references if you wish to have a set of bilbiographical branches at the ready for every part of Britain's genesis tale.

[Avellina Balestri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colorful and sweeping overview of the many incarnations of King Arthur in legend and lore. Using a variety of methods to lend context to the tales, this book shows the religious, historical, and cultural elements that have made and continue to make Arthur relevant to us. I loved the visually evocative illustrations and inclusions of Arthurian poetry from the likes of John Keats.

As a lover of Celtic culture, the material about symbolism and spirituality infused into the stories from both pagan and Christian sources was riveting and shows contrasts and parallels between the belief systems that reveal and almost universal "theme" about seeking perfection in a fallen world and the nature of hope in the midst of despair that reaches beyond mere physicality towards transcendence.

There are so many nuanced elemental studies the book covered so well: Water nymphs turned-lady-of-the-lake, sacred alchemy turned sword-in-the-stone, Merlin the mad Druid turned wizard advisor, Saxon invasion turned apocalyptic battle of Camlann...it's all here. Indeed, the Camlann illustrations were particularly haunting and brought to mind the Celtic festival of Samhain, the day of the dead. I found the comparison of Arthur with a cyclone to be very fitting, and his comparison with Christ as the "once and future king" to be more fitting yet.

Overall, a wonderful and smooth read who I would recommend to anyone with an interest in getting a foundational overview of the Arthurian Cycles.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive look at the Arthurian legends as well as the historical events and individuals on which the legends are based. The author's attempts to link legend with actual, factual history were actually very informative, giving me several details that I had previously been unaware of.

The book is an older one, written back in the '90s, so the list of books provided by Day in the back of the book is rather out-of-date. Nonetheless, it still provides a large variety of other sources for the people who want to learn more about the Arthurian legends.

[Oliver Baer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to anybody who is truly interested in the historical aspect of folklore. David Day does a great job of presenting how the King Arthur tales were influenced by the history of the British Isles. The photos and paintings that complement almost every page help bring to life the evolution of the King Arthur mythology. To further give you the grand scale of its evolution in terms of history, he presents a An Arthurian Chronology and Selected Bibliography at the end of the book. This I found to be a very helpful resource after having read the book.

[Stephen McQuiggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A search for historical roots of the mythical Arthur, from pagan times to the roman invasion, from the Plantagenet forgers to JFK and beyond. A fascinating look at how chivalric ideals helped shape Western civilization. Plus the illustrations, by artists such as Alan Lee, Cowper, and the majestic Waterhouse are as magical as their subject. Day even gets a dig in at the 'tiresomely perfect' Galahad, and explains how Christianity hijacked Camelot. Fascinating.

[Library Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best introductory book to the history and legends of King Arthur. Great for those just getting interested in the subject. I used this as part of my research for my college senior project on King Arthur!

[Soraya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really clear discription of where some of the elliments of the Arthur legend come from.

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Showed different ideas of the history of King Arthur and one that I liked. Once More, Morgana la Fey gets the worst of the deal.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not a deep search, but there are other books for that. Well illustrated, with modern translations of some of the best known tales, some of which I might use for my reluctant readers.