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King Arthur and His Knights
Sir James Knowle's tale of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Tale is resurrected in this ornate children's edition. Intricate black-and-white drawings of knights, damsels and wizards add to the mystery and folklore of Sir Arthur.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1923
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533 people want to read
About the author
James Knowles
163 books22 followersSir James Knowles was an English architect and editor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 17, 2016
I was able to read this by myself so apparently I'm an 'advanced' reader. Take that, middle school accelerated reader tests!
Anyhow, when I was younger I really liked this book. Exciting fights, quests to save princesses, rescuing villages from giants, etc. It was a lot of fun.
Now that I'm older it seems more like the story of a bunch of sociopaths wandering the countryside and picking fights with each other because their 'honor' demands it.
Okay, that's an exaggeration. The cannibalistic giants needed to be killed and plenty of the false knights were really evil. But that doesn't change the fact that even the good knights pick fights with each other whenever they don't recognize each other (and then hugging and crying when they do).
And there's very little characterization. Galahad's incorruptibly pure, Key is a coward, Gawain is hot-headed and Lancelot is a boss but everyone else seems to be roughly the same character.
That being said, I did enjoy rereading it if only for the nostalgia and because my knowledge of European history and geography is better so I know where more of these people are from and where the stories are taking place.
And a side note that I found funny. When I was a kid I thought this was actual history. Despite the preface talking about how it's all legends, morality tales and chivalric romances. I think I realized I was wrong about the same time I realized that the Soviet Union didn't exist anymore. Ah young, dumb me.
Anyhow, when I was younger I really liked this book. Exciting fights, quests to save princesses, rescuing villages from giants, etc. It was a lot of fun.
Now that I'm older it seems more like the story of a bunch of sociopaths wandering the countryside and picking fights with each other because their 'honor' demands it.
Okay, that's an exaggeration. The cannibalistic giants needed to be killed and plenty of the false knights were really evil. But that doesn't change the fact that even the good knights pick fights with each other whenever they don't recognize each other (and then hugging and crying when they do).
And there's very little characterization. Galahad's incorruptibly pure, Key is a coward, Gawain is hot-headed and Lancelot is a boss but everyone else seems to be roughly the same character.
That being said, I did enjoy rereading it if only for the nostalgia and because my knowledge of European history and geography is better so I know where more of these people are from and where the stories are taking place.
And a side note that I found funny. When I was a kid I thought this was actual history. Despite the preface talking about how it's all legends, morality tales and chivalric romances. I think I realized I was wrong about the same time I realized that the Soviet Union didn't exist anymore. Ah young, dumb me.
July 3, 2014
Highly recommended for fans of Arthurian lore.
Inspired by the 19th century popularity of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King (the introduction makes much of the author’s friendship with Tennyson), this retelling is based on Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. I grew up on the Malory edition edited by Pollard (with Arthur Rackham’s wonderful illustrations), so these two books ought to be quite similar. Are they? Hmm. I haven’t read my old book in a while – though it’s now available free from archive.org: https://archive.org/details/ofkingart...
From a quick perusal – yes, there’s a similarity, but not so much that it’s not worthwhile to read both books. Both update and abridge the text, making it bit easier for a modern audience to read, while maintaining the medieval flavor of the language.
Even if the text were identical, this edition would be worthwhile just for the illustrations. Louis Rhead was an extremely popular illustrator, up until the 1920s, and the images here show why. He does a great job of meshing the romantic style of the day with historical detail and Celtic design elements. Absolutely gorgeous.
Revisiting the content for the first time in many years reminds one how many layers have been laid over the original legends. While the illustrations reflect the romance and chivalry that we expect from these stories, the stories themselves are another thing. These are not stories that reflect the romantic ideals of the 19th century, and certainly not the attitudes of the 21st. The attitudes displayed here are literally right out of the middle ages. His knights pay lip service to honor and courtesy, and not much more. These are petty, jealous, violent men. They quarrel constantly and for no reason. It’s dishonorable to kill your own brother, but pretty much anyone else is fair game. Women are frequently treated as property. Combat is the expected way to resolve any dispute, and a way to prove one’s worth. (Although noble blood is also expected to ‘tell’ – a low-born boy who shows talent at knightly pursuit must, of course, actually be a knight’s bastard.) These attitudes are woven in with a mystical/magical view of Christianity which is also very alien to a modern conception of the religion. It’s fascinating!
Aside from giving an accurate glimpse into the culture and issues of another time, this book would also lend itself quite well to a drinking game. A shot every time someone’s head is either ‘smote’ directly off or cleaved in two, would get you wasted pretty quickly! ;-)
A copy of this Dover e-book edition was provided by NetGalley - which affects my opinion not at all. THANKS!
Inspired by the 19th century popularity of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King (the introduction makes much of the author’s friendship with Tennyson), this retelling is based on Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. I grew up on the Malory edition edited by Pollard (with Arthur Rackham’s wonderful illustrations), so these two books ought to be quite similar. Are they? Hmm. I haven’t read my old book in a while – though it’s now available free from archive.org: https://archive.org/details/ofkingart...
From a quick perusal – yes, there’s a similarity, but not so much that it’s not worthwhile to read both books. Both update and abridge the text, making it bit easier for a modern audience to read, while maintaining the medieval flavor of the language.
Even if the text were identical, this edition would be worthwhile just for the illustrations. Louis Rhead was an extremely popular illustrator, up until the 1920s, and the images here show why. He does a great job of meshing the romantic style of the day with historical detail and Celtic design elements. Absolutely gorgeous.
Revisiting the content for the first time in many years reminds one how many layers have been laid over the original legends. While the illustrations reflect the romance and chivalry that we expect from these stories, the stories themselves are another thing. These are not stories that reflect the romantic ideals of the 19th century, and certainly not the attitudes of the 21st. The attitudes displayed here are literally right out of the middle ages. His knights pay lip service to honor and courtesy, and not much more. These are petty, jealous, violent men. They quarrel constantly and for no reason. It’s dishonorable to kill your own brother, but pretty much anyone else is fair game. Women are frequently treated as property. Combat is the expected way to resolve any dispute, and a way to prove one’s worth. (Although noble blood is also expected to ‘tell’ – a low-born boy who shows talent at knightly pursuit must, of course, actually be a knight’s bastard.) These attitudes are woven in with a mystical/magical view of Christianity which is also very alien to a modern conception of the religion. It’s fascinating!
Aside from giving an accurate glimpse into the culture and issues of another time, this book would also lend itself quite well to a drinking game. A shot every time someone’s head is either ‘smote’ directly off or cleaved in two, would get you wasted pretty quickly! ;-)
A copy of this Dover e-book edition was provided by NetGalley - which affects my opinion not at all. THANKS!
September 2, 2023
Don't be confused, one of the first significant books I read, as a grade-schooler, was an illustrated copy of "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Malory. I have been enchanted by the written Arthur stories ever since. I don't recall if the text was abridged or not, but there were engraved illustrations under onion-skin paper you had to lift to see. I also had a copy of "The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights" by Steinbeck that I fully enjoyed. So I am a fan of the Arthur tradition.
This though, is just not a strong enough stand alone work. It is selections from Malory's work, but except for the sword in the stone they are not the selections I would have hoped for. As a child "Le Morte d'Arthur" was about Arthur, and the things that happened to him. There were side stories and minor characters, but the whole thing started and ended with Arthur. I was anticipating the selections to be about that. This had more to do about Lancelot, and somehow not the dual nature of the character that I recall.
I found this 1956 copy at a thrift shop down the street. I think I paid a buck for it. It was a neat little copy and brought certain things to memory. But listen, if you want to read about Arthur, borrow a copy of "Le Morte d'Arthur" from the library. If you find you enjoy reading the style that book is written and enjoy the stories and the way the action goes then finish it and research some other Arthur stories that are out there. People have been telling and retelling these stories for centuries. This little collection of selections makes little sense on its own. It is unsatisfying to someone who knows the Arthur stories and a bad starting point for someone who does not.
This though, is just not a strong enough stand alone work. It is selections from Malory's work, but except for the sword in the stone they are not the selections I would have hoped for. As a child "Le Morte d'Arthur" was about Arthur, and the things that happened to him. There were side stories and minor characters, but the whole thing started and ended with Arthur. I was anticipating the selections to be about that. This had more to do about Lancelot, and somehow not the dual nature of the character that I recall.
I found this 1956 copy at a thrift shop down the street. I think I paid a buck for it. It was a neat little copy and brought certain things to memory. But listen, if you want to read about Arthur, borrow a copy of "Le Morte d'Arthur" from the library. If you find you enjoy reading the style that book is written and enjoy the stories and the way the action goes then finish it and research some other Arthur stories that are out there. People have been telling and retelling these stories for centuries. This little collection of selections makes little sense on its own. It is unsatisfying to someone who knows the Arthur stories and a bad starting point for someone who does not.
February 5, 2018
Wow. This is a tough read. I read this aloud with my son as the audience. I chose this as I thought that it would be more accessible than diving into Mallory, and it probably is, but that still does not make it easy. It is written in archaic English and is in a style that will not be familiar to people today. There were many stops in the reading so that I could explain what was going on to my son. He understood a surprising amount of it, but there were times he, and I, we're very confused. There is a lot of smoting, 10 year old bots love smoting. My criticism comes not from the language or the style, it is more due to the content itself, I hesitate to use the word plot, as there is nary a plot at times. There are a lot of disjointed passages and the passage of time is confusing, p,yes there is an awful lot of coincidence going through the book. Now, before the purists jump on me, I do recognize that this book is based on numerous oral and written traditions. I am very curious to learn where the traditions end and Knowles contributions begin. It is a challenging read, but worth it.
January 21, 2011
As much as i wanted to enjoy this book, i found it mostly to be very repetitive. The majority of the book seems to consist of good knight sees damsel in distress from bad knight, knights fight, good knight wins repeat ad infinitum. Only the improvement towards the end (quest for the Holy Grail onwards) saved this book from being truly dull
September 17, 2021
I can handle the old English, but connecting the story arc from one scene to the next was pretty rough, making it feel like the same scene repeated again and again. Some guy has his honor tested, he goes off to kill either that person, or an entire town. He enters another town all battered and bruised, repeat ad nauseam.
November 10, 2009
I was amazed at how often everyone "smote" one another. I like the Arthur stories, but it can be a bit repetitive after a while. A lot of damsels wandering through the forest and then of course the "smiting".
September 18, 2025
This volume is a mixed bag. Its a collection of the core King Arthur legend from Malory's "canon" version (Malory's version is itself a fixup of previous and alternate tales from all over time and place - Arthurian lore is way too complicated for me to really dive into). At times the book suffers from blandness as characters go from one place to another and do things in a rather flat, artificially archaic English prose. Other times this is the best part of the book and it has a regal, old world sense of story telling. Many times this prose is outright hilarious as characters inexplicably lop off heads, duel or kidnap random ladies or knights wandering about - it brings Monty Python's Holy Grail to mind as being hilarious in a different way, that the arbitrary violence and randomness of the movie is sometimes a quite a literal adaptation of things as they seem to happen in this book. This artificially archaic English prose is both the best and the worst thing about this book, as many many times it was difficult to interpret. But English has changed a lot since this book was published in 1860 and this book uses 16th century pronouns and inflections with more 18th-19th century definitions for words. The trouble is it doesn't make use of any of the word play or inventiveness from that wide selection of time. If you are fluent in Shakespeare, this book will probably read like a washing machine instruction manual but with a liberal amount of jousting, distressed ladies and beheadings.
January 3, 2026
I can’t remember if I ever read this book as a child, but for as long as I can remember it’s been gathering dust in my house. Upon cracking it open, it smelt musky like only old books do. The tales are a bit disjointed as I believe they are a compilation of different segments from Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. Regardless, I loved each one. Every knight had a unique quest, often peppered with a love story and salted heavily with nobility and honour. There is mystery, magic and excitement, which is perfect for anyone with a taste of adventure. It might just be that I feel incredibly nostalgic lately, but I really enjoyed this book. A children’s book, yes, but aren’t we all just big kids trying to find our way through what the world calls “adulthood”.
October 28, 2024
A much-needed abridgement of Thomas Malory's rambling archaic Le Morte D'Arthur, rearranged to make more sense and prune some dead language. The result is a delight, bringing the medieval tales of King Arthur to life while sacrificing little of the authenticity. In terms of writing, it's quite poor, but the fact that it was taken as fact for so many centuries makes it historically interesting, and the wide-eyed tales of honour, chivalry and adventure are so sincere that I enjoyed losing myself in them for a few hours.
October 4, 2025
Pg 106. I'm way too busy to finish this book unfortunately. Maybe later I'll pick it back up. The old English is slowing my reading pace and I have to reread a page several times to understand what's going on, so much that I've found myself just completely losing the plot, barely understanding most of the events. Therefore I leave it for a time where I'm in a better headspace.
April 3, 2025
Can be summed as "arthur gets the sword an crown, 300 pages of knights jousting and randomly killing other knights, a worse adaptation of a monty python classic, and then death"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2025
A pretty good reiteration of one of history’s most famous English classics.
April 6, 2021
So like pretty much every 11th grade student in the state of Michigan, I had to read the story "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" at some point. I remember reading it, and watching cartoons like Justice League and Gargoyles (who had elements borrowed from these stories) and thinking "Okay, I wonder what other fantastical adventures King Arthur had other than just these two stories I've heard of? So I can finally say now that I know of them, sort of.
I have to admit, I feel a bit let down. I made the mistake I have made before of listening to an Audiobook version which left me kind of confused and feeling left in the dust. I am very willing to actually give this book a second try with a physical copy in the future as a result. Part of the problem was the language (which is dated) and the other with the characters and the way they are written. It is almost like you are expected to come into this book knowing who half this people are. "Oh King Aflered of North Wales! I've heard of this guy before! No, his kingdom is next to Cameldown not Camelot! I totally know where they're going. Classic Aflered!" I almost wish I had a primer to read this book with, or a very well read college Professor to take breaks and converse with and ask questions to. It felt like a LOT of stuff was just thrown out and not explained.
So yeah, this book is definitely not some book you can casually listen to in Audiobook format, unless you're a scholar in Middle English Epics or something like that. I did enjoy some of the stories, and in some ways it made me nostalgic for my 11th Grade English teacher who explained what they all meant by this action or this character.
But I felt a lot like the experience was a little sour for me. I wish I could have taken the time, read the book and even read more background information on the book. I will definitely give this a re-read one day. You know, once I finish the other 400 books on my TBR pile.
I have to admit, I feel a bit let down. I made the mistake I have made before of listening to an Audiobook version which left me kind of confused and feeling left in the dust. I am very willing to actually give this book a second try with a physical copy in the future as a result. Part of the problem was the language (which is dated) and the other with the characters and the way they are written. It is almost like you are expected to come into this book knowing who half this people are. "Oh King Aflered of North Wales! I've heard of this guy before! No, his kingdom is next to Cameldown not Camelot! I totally know where they're going. Classic Aflered!" I almost wish I had a primer to read this book with, or a very well read college Professor to take breaks and converse with and ask questions to. It felt like a LOT of stuff was just thrown out and not explained.
So yeah, this book is definitely not some book you can casually listen to in Audiobook format, unless you're a scholar in Middle English Epics or something like that. I did enjoy some of the stories, and in some ways it made me nostalgic for my 11th Grade English teacher who explained what they all meant by this action or this character.
But I felt a lot like the experience was a little sour for me. I wish I could have taken the time, read the book and even read more background information on the book. I will definitely give this a re-read one day. You know, once I finish the other 400 books on my TBR pile.
December 23, 2014
This book is a direct reprint of the original Knowles book which itself was a reworking or compilation of Sir Thomas Mallory's stories about King Arthur. One needs to know this fact right from the start of the book as the language and writing style is very old fashioned, slightly florid, and sometimes difficult to read. Still for those who love Arthurian literature, this book will be a very good resource as it is an unabridged collection of Mallory's tales as retold by Knowles. It was a very popular book when first published, extremely popular on the resale market, so having a new edition published makes a lot of sense.
The stories are familiar from the many tellings and retellings of Arthur's story but these are the original tales, including some little known ones and the side stories of the lesser known members of Arthur's court. Because of the writing style, typical of the late 19th century when the book was first written, that familiarity comes in handy in keeping track of events and knowing what's happening. Still this is a good book for any fan of Arthurian Literature to have on their bookshelf.
Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The stories are familiar from the many tellings and retellings of Arthur's story but these are the original tales, including some little known ones and the side stories of the lesser known members of Arthur's court. Because of the writing style, typical of the late 19th century when the book was first written, that familiarity comes in handy in keeping track of events and knowing what's happening. Still this is a good book for any fan of Arthurian Literature to have on their bookshelf.
Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2018
Just a glimpse of knighthood
The revised (with modernized syntax) text of Sir Malory still has the power to transport any reader to the world of errant knights, damsels in distress, and incredible portents. However, as the myth unfolds page after page, the presence of Editor R.T. Davies, arbitrary selecting excerpts and cutting out five sixth (as declared in the Introduction) of the original work, becomes cumbersome and somewhat annoying when entire secondary quests are redacted and summarized in unfulfilling notes a couple of lines long. While understanding the Editor’s goal to keep the reader focused on the most notorious arthurian characters, the errant knights ethusiasts are left longing for more.
The revised (with modernized syntax) text of Sir Malory still has the power to transport any reader to the world of errant knights, damsels in distress, and incredible portents. However, as the myth unfolds page after page, the presence of Editor R.T. Davies, arbitrary selecting excerpts and cutting out five sixth (as declared in the Introduction) of the original work, becomes cumbersome and somewhat annoying when entire secondary quests are redacted and summarized in unfulfilling notes a couple of lines long. While understanding the Editor’s goal to keep the reader focused on the most notorious arthurian characters, the errant knights ethusiasts are left longing for more.
September 2, 2023
3,5 stars
I can't say I was expecting a lot, I'm just a huge fan of Arthurian legends. It is obviously written a lot differently than a normal book today, it's just a bunch of myths and legens written together, it feels very unpersonal. Maybe like a fairytale, we can say. At times it could be a little boring because of it but I actually really enjoyed a bit, especially the last part. It definitely helped me a bit with my research about medieval literature and knight's stories. Also, the tale with Gareth and Lynette and their journey, they would be so perfect together. They definitely matured over time and she grew to like him which would be perfect for romance but he just chose her sister whom she just randomly saved from an evil knight and barely knew her.
I can't say I was expecting a lot, I'm just a huge fan of Arthurian legends. It is obviously written a lot differently than a normal book today, it's just a bunch of myths and legens written together, it feels very unpersonal. Maybe like a fairytale, we can say. At times it could be a little boring because of it but I actually really enjoyed a bit, especially the last part. It definitely helped me a bit with my research about medieval literature and knight's stories. Also, the tale with Gareth and Lynette and their journey, they would be so perfect together. They definitely matured over time and she grew to like him which would be perfect for romance but he just chose her sister whom she just randomly saved from an evil knight and barely knew her.
April 30, 2012
I have always loved the stories of Arthur. This, in my opinion, is one of the better versions. It's not a modern novel, nor is it the very old Le Morte d'Arthur. It is a classic, a true tale. This particular edition in wonderfully illustrated. What I perhaps like best about it is the multitude of tales in it. It's not just the main plot arc of sword in stone, Guinevere, Black Knight, Holy Grail, and the war with Lancelot. It is all the little stories of each of Arthur's knights and the wonders they encounter. This is definitely something I will read to my future children. All children should grow up with fireside tales.
February 26, 2014
I've joked that Thomas Malory wrote Le Morte d'Arthur before they invented characterization, and James Knowles doesn't improve on that in his retelling. Characters do things without any deep sense of why they are doing those things. This is a very dry telling of Arthurian legend, with little emotional depth.
Nonetheless, Knowles's work contains many less well known pieces of Arthurian legend, and so is valuable for that. And of course it has many familiar and well loved stories. Worth reading if you're already an Arthurian legend fan, but not likely to convert anyone.
Nonetheless, Knowles's work contains many less well known pieces of Arthurian legend, and so is valuable for that. And of course it has many familiar and well loved stories. Worth reading if you're already an Arthurian legend fan, but not likely to convert anyone.
June 2, 2020
This was mainly an 'okay' book for me. The prose was rather simplistic in that it did a lot more telling than showing, and sometimes the pacing was wonky. I never truly knew how much time was passing.
I also quickly got tired of the brothers almost or actually killing each other, knights killing other knights in general and regretting it, and knights realizing they had children.
There were some parts that I thought were cool (like Gawain getting judged by a court of all women) but it was mostly okay.
I also quickly got tired of the brothers almost or actually killing each other, knights killing other knights in general and regretting it, and knights realizing they had children.
There were some parts that I thought were cool (like Gawain getting judged by a court of all women) but it was mostly okay.
March 10, 2012
Un libro aburrido. Cuenta la historia de Arturo y sus caballeros, es cierto, pero quitándole la historia que todos conocemos (y que es interesante) queda un 80% de ociosidad caballeresca (llamada aventura en el libro) en que los caballeros no tienen otra cosa que hacer que buscar camorra una y otra vez, mientras las damiselas, que juegan un miserable rol en toda la historia (qué diferencia con la excelente Nieblas de Avalón) sólo esperan ser salvadas o morir de amor. Me costó acabar.
April 18, 2012
If it was half as long it would be twice as good. Loved immersing myself in the world of Arthurian legend.
Plenty of good laughs in the book. The slow parts are more enjoyable if you imagine it is Monty Python.
Also fun to read all the iconic imagery and action sequences that are still being recycled today in books and movies.
Plenty of good laughs in the book. The slow parts are more enjoyable if you imagine it is Monty Python.
Also fun to read all the iconic imagery and action sequences that are still being recycled today in books and movies.
December 19, 2012
Not wild about this book. It feels like the one-lined teasers that appear on foot of a newspaper's front page. Except, with a newspaper you can find the story when you want to. Knowles just tells the reader everything, one long transition that chips away at the story much like a Cliffs-Notes telling.
...moving on...
...moving on...
August 2, 2014
Thomas Malory, knight and adventurer of the 1400s, died in prison after penning these epic tales. They are the original stories of King Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Gawain and the Holy Grail but the olde English is smoothed over to make it accessible. The popular heroes in books and movies of today are all rooted in King Arthur and his Knights.
August 8, 2012
Fun to read these. Very dramatic. Lots of random slaying and distressed damsels. I like how the women are either helpless or sly sorceresses... what? It's interesting how similar some of the tales are to the retardedness of Monte Python and the Holy Grail...
January 27, 2010
It was fun to read the old stories of the round table.
February 8, 2010
Read this book or I will smite you
Want to read
February 17, 2010my sis' collection at home
August 16, 2010
Not a bad book, and I like Arthurian myth but it was written a little dry, but it does give the full myths so that was nice
April 17, 2012
i love the whole knights in armor/adventuring thing, and im a big fan of king arthur stuff but this dragged in places
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews