The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Story King Arthur His Knight Hre)

Howard Pyle delivers yet another splendid book which recaptures the enchantment and chivalry of the legend of Kind Arthur and his knights. Some have complained of the archaic english, but I love it. It only adds to the magic of Pyle's story. This book is filled with the adventures of noble knights, and it does an amazing job of keeping your interest. Somehow, even after many previous jousts and sword matches, Pyle makes each one more interesting than the last.

I also love the "moral of the story" section he does at the end of most major book divisions. He did not do that in the other Pyle book I have read (The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood), and I very much liked them. In such he made allegories of Excalibur and its sheath (to God's Truth and faith), and does likewise with many things, always wishing to teach to us some truth through his writings about Arthur and his knights. I also loved the oath of the knights of the Round Table:

"And this was the covenant of their Knighthood of the Round Table: That they would be gentle unto the weak; that they would be courageous unto the strong; that they would be terrible unto the wicked and the evil-doer that they would defend the helpless who should call upon them for aid; that all women should be held unto them sacred; that they would stand unto the defence of one another whensoever such defence should be required; that they would be merciful unto all men; that they would be gentle of deed, true in friendship, and faithful in love. This was their covenant, and unto it each knight sware upon the cross of his sword, and in witness thereof did kiss the hilt thereof."

This except, I think, well sums up this book, in which these oaths are held, and if they are not, retribution always follows swiftly. In the land of Camelot, good deeds before God are of highest value, and wicked deeds are always subject to disapproval and punishment.

At the turn of the century, Howard Pyle turned his considerable talent as a storyteller to writing tales of the Round Table. When I glance at my Grail Lore books, his name jumps out at me again and again. Not only is he a wonderful storyteller, he does some of the most amazing illustrations for each tale.
Born before the US Civil War in Wilmington Delaware, he was enchanted by storybooks and the drawings such as Grimm's Faerytales and that influence is clear in his books. So Pyle set about in his twenties to pen stories of Pirates, Robin Hood and Arthur and his knight. His love of these tales was brought to bear as he created "grown-up" storybooks.
This is one of my favourite of his works. The illustrations of Arthur, Merline and the Knights of the Table are brilliant. It covers the early tales of Arthur, as his identity was discovered by performing the Miracle of the Sword, then moves on to Arthur's winning of his Queen. He gives stories of Merlin, Sir Pellias, Sir Gawain and others in this amazing storybook for lovers of Grail Lore.
No Grail Library Collection should be without it.