King Arthur: And The Round Table

This edition of the King Arthur legends will please teachers and students alike. The magic realm of Camelot is made inviting by a lively text that preserves the spirit and feel of the Middle Ages but also makes the story accessible to young readers. Enhanced by the Howard Pyle illustrations, the adventures of Gawaine, Galahad, and the other Knights of the Round Table are enchanting in their own right but also make a perfect supplement to the Core Knowledge history unit on the Middle Ages. As always in the Core Classics series, helpful word glosses are added to the text and an introduction is provided by E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

The remarks which conclude the introduction, remind us of why the study of King Arthur is important. E. D. Hirsch refers to the final combat, in which Arthur is wounded and taken to Avalon for healing and says,

The Golden Age he made is gone.
Yet for a time, justice and goodness, order and love reign from Camelot, and they might again, the wise men who tell myths say, when King Arthur comes back from Avalon.