I'm a medievalist by trade and few stories have shaped the general awareness of the Middle Ages like Arthuriana. Stories around King Arthur and his knights have arisen from countless of places in medieval Europe, being set in Wales, starting in France, being translated in Norway, and finding root in the English consciousness. John and Caitlin Matthews present a really ambitious overview here, based on their decades-long research into the figure of Arthur himself. This is less an exploration of the many literary traditions and more of a deep-dive into the historical and archaeological evidence of the man himself.

As a literary scholar, I found this very interesting, although it doesn't necessarily feed into my own research. I love the way medieval literature tells and retells a story, how our modern concepts of originality and authenticity do not factor into the conversation. Every group of people, every society, every culture, retold Arthuriana material for their own interests, and that is what I find the most intriguing. John and Caitlin Matthews definitely also glory in this variance, but the edge of finding the one hero, the actual man, the real truth, doesn't necessarily grab me the same way. However, 'The Complete King Arthur' is a well-researched and thorough book which details the extensive work done by John and Caitlin Matthews. For those interested into diving deeper into the lore around King Arthur and his court, this is an excellent point to start.

To put it almost criminally lightly, it is a daunting task to delve into the mystery of the origins of King Arthur. This reality makes "The Complete King Arthur" all the greater an accomplishment. Matthews & Matthews have created a magnificently comprehensive, extremely aptly-detailed work that diligently details all the various figures and events that could have been the historical origin / origins of the legendary British king.

What we have here is more than just a grand model of historical and cultural research. This is a small masterpiece that deserves to become the go-to source for all questions pertaining to where Arthur possibly began.

I found all the avenues pursued by the author fascinating. I do wish I was better versed in English history. I would recommend that any reader be well versed in that time period as it will be a tremendous help.

As a huge Arthurian Legend fan I have read many of John and Caitlin Matthews books. This volume draws together information from previous works as well as new information that I hadn't read before. This book is a MUST for any Arthurian fanatic

As the title suggests, this chronicles the man behind the myth of King Arthur. The legendary historical figure had a multitude of possible historical beginnings, which range from the Roman era up until the modern day. Such a vast area of history was covered here and the authors did so in a commendable fashion. It seemed every possible surface was touched upon and this indeed does deserve the title of 'The Complete King Arthur'.

However, sometimes learning about the truth behind the fantasy isn't always a good thing. I think my interest in King Arthur may be more passing than I thought and, for me, I found this too densely deluged in fact and too lacking in a focus on the legend his notoriety hailed from.

John and Caitlin Matthews have written a terrific and comprehensive study of King Arthur. The scope of this book is huge - it is admirable how well the authors examine so many facets of Arthur.
The first section focuses on the historical Arthur. The Matthews begin with the Roman Lucius Artorius Castus, who lived in the 2nd century AD, and work their way forward through the heart of the dark ages showing several viable candidates for the historical king.
"Arthur's transformation into a heroic medieval king was through a process of myth making that began within a few years of his passing." The largest part of the book analyzes the legendary Arthur. The depth of scholarship in this section is fantastic! I loved how easily the chapters flowed from Celtic myth to medieval poetry and beyond.
The final section of the book looks at modern interpretations of Arthur; all the heavy hitting artists, authors, and filmmakers are mentioned.
The notes and bibliography are a dream come true! Reading all the source material would be like a self-directed graduate degree in Arthuriana.
I highly recommend The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero

"The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero". Where was this book 20 years ago?? This is one work that uses all the historical records, scholarly research (both past and present), and the epic poems to strip away the fog that has surrounded Britain during the time directly following the Roman departure.

The authors between them have written over 150 works mainly steeped in Arthurian substance and this is the culmination of 40 years of research. The Matthews write convincingly, exploring all known works (oral and written) and seeing how they fit with the Arthur of legend. Taking known research and analysis of the social, cultural and military histories, they build up a realistic portrait of the man at the centre of the myth - a man with many faces.

The authors also take an in-depth look into the sources themselves, and discuss how an oral tradition was extended and added to each time it came into contact with other cultures - and nowhere is this more apparent than in the cycle of the great traditional Arthurian romances of Chretian de Troyes, Robert de Boron, Ambrose Firman-Didot's "Fisher King" stories, Gottfried von Strassburg's epic "Tristan" stories, through to Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", Edmund Spenser's "Faerie Queen" down to Tennyson's "Idylls of the King". Even today, Arthur and his knights hold a spell over writers, judging by the prolific works (fact and fiction) dedicated to him.

I am mentally exhausted - in a good way - after reading this book. There was just so much information to absorb, and I now want to now go back and read everything Arthurian I can lay my hands (novels, poems, epic sagas, the histories). The seed in my mind has begun to germinate and it needs tending. I have no hesitation in recommending this work - I will be adding it to my own personal library.

In English culture, there are few figures to challenge the stature of King Arthur. The question of the historical basis of Arthur, and therefore all the stories that surround him, has raged for centuries. Dozens of sites in England and Wales lay claim as the location of some part of the story. Actual person, or legendary symbol of the archetypal king?


Whatever your position on the question, or your devotion to the stories of Arthur, this book will take you deeper into the story than ever before. Beginning with the understanding that prior to a certain date, the name "Arthur" is essentially unknown in Britain. So it is the legend that makes the name. Who was Lucius Arturis Castus? What of Ambrosius and Vortigern? How can the many, often widely varying, "histories" of the king be reconciled? The Matthews examine it all, including a look at each of the major battles commonly credited to Arthur.

But this doesn't stop there. They also look at the most popular writings about King Arthur, like those of Sir Thomas Malory. In fact, the book carefully examines Arthur from no less than eight different angles. "Arthur of Rome", "Arthur of the Shadows", "Arthur of the Battles", "Arthur of Myth", "Arthur of Britain", "Arthur, Lord of Camelot", "Arthur of Fable" and "Arthur Everywhere". This is as detailed an examination of one of the core characters of British culture as I've ever seen. At the same time, the authors make the book eminently readable.

For the serious student of history and culture, I have to believe this book will soon be required reading on the subject. For the "fan" of Arthurian legend, the book offers a unique insight into these beloved stories. Some sections, for me it was the examination of the battles, may offer more depth of analysis than is desired. A quick skim will reveal more treasures waiting in the next sections to captivate you.

Taking on popular mythology can be a daunting task. In "The Complete King Arthur", the Matthews have created a book that is carefully researched and equally carefully crafted. It is history that will delight you while expanding your understanding.

Why You Will Like It - Surrounded by centuries of legend, the authors offer you an in-depth look at the core of who "Arthur" may have been. They peel away the mythology to reveal an even more nuanced character for the "King of the Britons".

"The Complete King Arthur - Many Faces, One Hero" will be available beginning April 24, 2017.

Rating - **** Recommended

REview will post 5:00 PM, April 19, 2017 at www.theviewfromthephlipside.com

The Complete King Arthur: Many Faces, One Hero, is a comprehensive look at the many different persona’s of King Arthur. I have read many books from notable scholars on the subject of Arthur, so I was looking forward to seeing what John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews had to say for themselves. I was hoping for something fresh and easy to read, I got that.

The authors do not claim to have found Arthur, this isn’t that type of book, although I got the impression the authors were leaning towards the Roman Centurion, Artorius Castus, as a probable candidate!

This book covers a vast period, from Roman occupation of Britain, to now, which is a long period of history to cover, but I have to commend John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews, for they did it remarkably well.
This book looks at how Arthur has changed through the ages and how he has been used, to some extent, for political purposes. It also shows us how Arthur ‘the man’ was turned into Arthur ‘the legend’ and how the ancient texts were possibly misinterpreted. So as with anything to do with Arthur you expect to look at the works of Gildas, Nennius, Bede, etc... which this book does, and John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews have come up with some really interesting thesis as they interpret what they think this writing is, and isn’t, telling us. The authors arguments are very compelling, and I have to admit I had this book in one hand, and the rest of my vast Arthurian collection spread out before me while I cross-referenced. And for the most part, I found myself agreeing with what John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews have so elegantly put forward as an argument. Their interpretation makes sense.

This book spends a long time looking at Nennius’s 12 famous battles and how these "battles" have been interpreted / miss-interpreted over time, and, more importantly, what they say about the political landscape that they are set in. I thought the authors were right to dedicate this amount of time to these battles and for those new to Arthurian Legend this would be enlightening.

The book takes us on a journey and show us how Arthur changed over time from a soldier to a king, and it pays particular attention to the great poets, who of course, were responsible for this change. There is a fascinating chapter on Geoffrey of Monmouth, who is the founding father of the somewhat fictitious Arthur that we would recognise today. The authors look in great detail at Monmouth’s life and where he got his facts from - that missing ancient manuscript raises its head again - and more importantly, they look at why Monmouth wrote it in the first place.

The authors show the two sides of Arthur — the Christian King, and the spoilt, arrogant, almost evil Arthur that he was sometimes portrayed as. The book looks at principle players in Arthurian Legend as well - Kay, Mordred, Bedivere, Gawain, and Lancelot, as well as Arthur's Queen all get a mention and as with Arthur, the authors demonstrate where the 'historical' characters came from, and which ones have a rather fictitious beginning!

I thought this book was very well thought out, there are lots of amazing images, a very useful timeline, maps, and everything is chronicled in order, so you really do need to start at the beginning as there is a lot of references to earlier chapters. This is a book that is suitable for those who are just starting out on their Arthurian journey, as well as those that are well on their way into their research. This is a book that I am going to come back to again. It is a welcomed addition to my shelf.

I Highly Recommend.

*I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley, for review consideration*

This book was interesting look into the history and mythological surrounding the tales of King Arthur.