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Available
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Publication
Fontana (1973), Paperback, 320 pages
Description
2007 was the 50th anniversary of the publication of King Arthur's Avalon, which sold 100,000 copies, and is credited widely with a major share in the growth of Glastonbury's fame and the international renewal of Arthurian interests. This edition gives the original text, unchanged and unabridged, with a new Preface by the author putting it in a present-day perspective. He reviews developments in the past half-century and his own contributions to them.
User reviews
LibraryThing member ed.pendragon
This is the post-war book that really re-invigorated the interest in King Arthur and the Dark Ages by focusing on the medieval notion that he was buried in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey. On the surface all the omens were good: archaeologically there was evidence that there was an ancient
If however you don't fall prey to that magic, see the town as tawdry or--worse--ordinary, doubt that legends are anything other than Rumour-plus-Time, suspect that the tomb of Arthur may have been a publicity stunt by medieval monks and believe that the existing archaeology is at best ambiguous, then 'King Arthur's Avalon' still stands as a testimony to the ability of a young writer to capture a contemporary yearning for past glories, a zeitgeist that remains attached to Glastonbury over half a century later and looks certain to be a powerful force for many years to come. Ashe has gone on to be a successful writer on a range of other subjects, but still comes back to re-visit many of themes he first set out over five decades ago in this seminal book.
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cemetery here--in the early sixties a prominent archaeologist, Ralegh Radford, even pinpointed where 12th-century monks dug for the supposed grave of Arthur--legends placed Dark Age saints here, the medieval abbey was one of the richest (if not the richest) monastic foundation in the country, and many people in recent times have been attracted by the supposed aura of the place. Certainly Ashe, a Catholic, believes there is something special here, and that the legends, even if not true, have a significance beyond the claimed facts, and he has lived on the slopes of Glastonbury Tor for many decades now, a vindication of the magic of this small Somerset town. If however you don't fall prey to that magic, see the town as tawdry or--worse--ordinary, doubt that legends are anything other than Rumour-plus-Time, suspect that the tomb of Arthur may have been a publicity stunt by medieval monks and believe that the existing archaeology is at best ambiguous, then 'King Arthur's Avalon' still stands as a testimony to the ability of a young writer to capture a contemporary yearning for past glories, a zeitgeist that remains attached to Glastonbury over half a century later and looks certain to be a powerful force for many years to come. Ashe has gone on to be a successful writer on a range of other subjects, but still comes back to re-visit many of themes he first set out over five decades ago in this seminal book.
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LibraryThing member tripleblessings
A controversial history of Glastonbury, which makes great claims for it to be the sacred site of the "glass island" of the druids, of King Arthur's grave, and of the Holy Grail.
First written in 1957, republished in 1972 with a revised introduction. An interesting read for the general public,
First written in 1957, republished in 1972 with a revised introduction. An interesting read for the general public,
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visitors to Glastonbury, and "new age" seekers, but not accepted by academic historians. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1957
Physical description
320 p.; 7.01 inches
ISBN
0006132251 / 9780006132257