The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650

by John Morris

Hardcover, 1973

Status

Available

Call number

942.01

Publication

Charles Scribner's Sons (1973), 665 pages

Description

A lifetime's scholarship enabled John Morris to recreate a past hitherto hidden in myth and mystery. He describes the Arthurian Age as 'the starting point of future British history', for it saw the transition from Roman Britain to Great Britain, the establishment of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales from the collapse of the Pax Romana. In exploring political, social, economic, religious and cultural history from the fourth to the seventh century, his theme is one of continuity. That continuity is embodied in Arthur himself: 'in name he was the last Roman Emperor, but he ruled as the first medieval king.'

Media reviews

Studia celtica, vol. x-xi (1975-6), pp. 454-486

Dr. Morris, however, has not only surveyed the whole period and the whole of the British Isles across these three centuries, but has injected into every fibre of his book his own individualistic views and uncompromising conclusions. He writes with nothing if not zest and character and there will

probably be few who have not learnt something from him at some time, if only as a reaction to one of his pronouncements. Unfortunately, the authoritative tone of this volume conceals not a lack of knowledge as such but a seemingly total inability to construct a thesis which unfolds logically and by appropriate stages, together with an indifference to the views and conclusions of other scholars bordering on the absolute. It is a matter of deep regret that such an outwardly impressive piece of scholarship as The Age of Arthur should crumble upon inspection into a tangled tissue of fact and fantasy which is both misleading and misguided. It is also a matter of grave concern that this book is likely to be read widely and its conclusions disseminated at all levels. No scholarly satisfaction is to be derived from commenting unfavourably and at length on the labour of love of another historian, but this massive edifice needs so thoroughly dismantling that it is essential to treat, at least in passing, as many as possible (for even a more extended critique cannot cover every defective statement) of the errors and misconceptions with which it abounds.

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User reviews

LibraryThing member terena

An indepth study of the time that King Arthur would have lived.

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LibraryThing member ablueidol

Interesting historical thesis of the transition from roman rule in Britain and the exploration of why dispite the fact that much of the western empire was occupied politically/miltary by "barbariens" the cultural etc breaks with the past was greatest in Britain. The long resistence of the british

to the english left them welsh and the english with a civil society that had local authonomy and strong sense of the rights of the indvidual and the roots of a national identity

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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend

This book is the basic book on King Arthur as a historical personage, as far as I'm concerned (is there an acronym or that ?). While the research is now dated, it is the best book that supports or opposes the currently popular opinion about this shadowy figure. I've lived through several

generations of controversy, and John Morris did a fine job of analyzing what was known at his time. A Must-read if you are going to be taken seriously in the current arguments. I have loaned and NOT received back a copy of this book.

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LibraryThing member Steve.Bivans

In depth look at the history behind the myth of Arthur, though mostly focusing on the 'age' of the mythical king, and not the origins of the myth itself. The book is dry in parts, but well worth reading if you're interested in penetrating the mists of Britain's history.

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