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Arthurian-Era Reference Bookstore
This page lists reference works available from Amazon.com dealing with post-Roman Britain and its various ethnic groups, including the Celts, Picts, Scots, and Germanic tribes. Audio cassette books, CDs and videos are included when available.
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Click here to search for Arthurian books and other materials available from Amazon.co.uk.
indicates favorite titles in my collection, many of which I have used in the researching of my novels.
indicates favorite non-print items.
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Arthurian Reference Materials From Amazon.com
Visit often to see titles I've added!
A Celtic Reader: Selections from Celtic Legend, Scholarship and Story, John Matthews
A Dictionary of Fabulous Beasts, Richard Barber
An Age of Tyrants: Britain and the Britons, AD 400-600, Christopher Snyder. Synopsis posted on Amazon: "Christopher Snyder's history of Britain during the two centuries after Rome's withdrawal reveals a hybrid society of Celtic, Roman, and Christian elements and documents the transition from magisterial to monarchical power. An appendix explores the Arthur and Merlin myths. 30 illustrations."
The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650, John Morris. Currently out of print, but perhaps someone has a used copy for sale
The Age of the Picts, W.A. Cummins. Also available in hardcover.
Ancient and Medieval Warfare, Ed. Thomas Griess
The Ancient Celts, Barry Cunliffe
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, translated and edited by Michael Swanton. Billed by the History Book Club as "the most complete and faithful" translation yet rendered, it's definitely on my wish list!
The Anglo-Saxons, James Campbell et. al.
Art of the Celts, Lloyd & Jennifer Laing
Arthur: The King in the West, Robert W. Dunning
Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars, David Nicolle & Angus McBride - for an RPG resource, it has surprisingly good information.
Arthur's Britain, Leslie Alcock - Currently out of print, but well worth the effort to find a copy!
Arthurian Bibliography: Subject Index (Arthurian Studies, 6); and 1978-1992 (Arthurian Studies, 3), compiled by Cedric Edward Pickford.
The Arthurian Companion: The Legendary World of Camelot and the Round Table, Phyllis Ann Karr - the "Who's Who and What's That" <g> of Arthuriana.
Arthurian Handbook, The, Norris Lacy & Geoffrey Ashe (2nd ed., 1997, paperback). Also available in hardcover.
Arthurian Legends: An Illustrated Anthology, Richard Barber, also available in hardcover.
Arthurian Legends on Film and Television, an excellent textbook study by my friend Bert Olton!
Arthurian Myth & Legend: An A-Z of People and Places, Mike Dixon-Kennedy
The Arthurian Name Dictionary, Christopher Bruce, who says he has written "a comprensive-as-possible encyclopedic dictonary of Arthurian names, places, objects, symbols, and themes from hundreds of sources written over the course of 1300 years." Foreword by Arthurian scholar Norris J. Lacy.
The Arthurian Revival: Essays on Form, Tradition, and Transformation (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities), Debra N. Mancoff. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
The Arthurian Tradition, John Matthews - another that's out of print but worth the effort to track down.
Atlantis: Lost Lands, Ancient Wisdom, Geoffrey Ashe -- a discussion of Atlantis that mentions the Arthurian Legends
Atlas of the Roman World, John Matthews
The Bardic Source Book: Inspirational Legacy and Teachings of the Ancient Celts, John Matthews
The Book of Druidry: History, Sites and Wisdom, John Matthews
Camelot, Caryl Rivers -- 1998 paper version of the Camelot: Ancient Mysteries television documentary.
Camelot: Ancient Mysteries VHS tape - an excellent Arthurian documentary, featuring interviews by such notables as Geoffrey Ashe and Bonnie Wheeler (of the journal Arthuriana).
Celt and Saxon: the Struggle for Britain, AD 410-937, Peter Beresford Ellis. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
Celtic Bards, Celtic Druids, R.J. Stewart, Robin Williamson, Chris Down
Celtic Druids, Godfrey Higgins
Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses, Miranda Gray, Courtney Davis, & R.J. Stewart
Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions, Ward Rutherford. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
Celtic Myth and Legend, Charles Squire, also available in hardcover.
Celtic Myths, Celtic Legends, R.J. Stewart
Celtic Mythology: The Nature and Influence of Celtic Myth from Druidism to Arthurian Legend, Ward Rutherford
The Celtic Quest in Art and Literature: An Anthology from Merlin to Van Morrison, Jane Lahr
Celtic Warrior Chiefs, John Matthews & Bob Stewart. Out of print, but perhaps someone has a used copy for sale.
Celtic Women: Women in Celtic Society & Literature, Peter Berresford Ellis
The Celtic World, Ed. Miranda Green
Celts, an excellent VHS videotape series
The Celts, Dr. Cremin Aedeen
The Celts, Nora Chadwick & Barry Cunliffe
The Celts, T.G.E. Powell & Stuart Piggott
The Celts: Uncovering the Mythic and Historic Origins of Western Culture, Jean Markale
The Chronicles of the Celts: New Tellings of Their Myths & Legends, Peter Berresford Ellis
Classic Celtic Fairy Tales, ed. John Matthews
The Company of Camelot: Arthurian Characters in Romance and Fantasy (Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy, No 61), Charlotte Spivack & Roberta Lynne Staples
Culture and the King: The Social Implications of the Arthurian Legend (SUNY Series in Medieval Studies), Martin B. Shichtman & James P. Carley. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature. Also available in hardcover.
Dark Age Britain, Henry Marsh. Unfortunately, this excellent reference is out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
The Druids, Stuart Piggott. Still one of the best references on the subject!
The Discovery of King Arthur, Geoffrey Ashe. Some Arthurian scholars rave about this book, and some think it's nothing more than another collection of unsupported speculations. Buy it and decide for yourself!
The Druid Source Book, John Matthews
The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature, Jean Markale
Early Scotland: The Picts, the Scots and the Welsh of Southern Scotland, Hector Munro Chadwick. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
Elements of the Arthurian Tradition, The, Richard Barber
Elements of Celtic Tradition, The, Caitlin Matthews
Encyclopaedia of Arthurian Legends, The, Ronan Coghlan
The End of Roman Britain, Michael E. Jones
From Ritual to Romance, Jessie L. Weston, inspiration for T.S. Eliot's classic poem, The Waste Land. Also available in hardcover and Mythos: The Princeton/Bollingen Series in World Mythology paperback editions.
From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Holy Grail (Garland Reference), C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor. These authors are two of the most preeminent Arthurian scholars in the world, and their book is definitely on my to-purchase list! Also available in hardcover.
The High Kings, Joy Chant. Celtic myths and legends as they might have been told in Arthur's court; beautifully illustrated, too. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
Historic Figures of the Arthurian Era: Authenticating the Enemies and Allies of Britain's Post-Roman King, Frank Reno
The Holy Kingdom: The Quest for the Real King Arthur, Adrian Gilbert
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Arthurian Legends, Ronan Coghlan - also available in hardcover.
In Search of Ancient Scotland: An Independent Traveler's Guide, Gerald & Dorothy Ruzicki
The Intelligent Traveller's Guide to Historic Scotland, Philip A. Crowl - a must-have for any serious researcher or traveler to this country. Out of print, but perhaps someone is selling their copy via Amazon.com's used-book feature.
The Journey Through Wales and the Description of Wales, Gerald of Wales (Penguin Classics); contains descriptions of Arthurian locations Gerald visited in the late 12th century.
Journey to Avalon: The Final Discovery of King Arthur, Chris Barber
King Arthur, Norma Lorre Goodrich. This collection of mostly unsupported speculations was an entertaining read, nonetheless, and important in the development of my series.
King Arthur, the Dream of a Golden Age (Art and Imagination), Geoffrey Ashe
King Arthur in America, Alan & Barbara Tepa Lupack. Comprehensive bibliography; detailed treatments of Mark Twain, E. A. Robinson, T. S. Eliot, Steinbeck; also considered are such topics as the beginnings of American Arthurian literature; reactions to Tennyson; children's moral literature; Percy, Updike, popular fiction and film.
King Arthur: A Military History, Michael Holmes
King Arthur: Hero and Legend, Richard Barber. Also available in hardcover.
King Arthur: His Life and Legends - 50-minute VHS video documentary produced by A&E for their Biography series.
King Arthur: The True Story, Graham Phillips - another collection of plausible but unsupported speculations that's entertaining to read, anyway.
King Arthur's Place in Prehistory: The Great Age of Stonehenge, W.A. Cummins
King Arthur's Return: Legends of the Round Table and Holy Grail Retraced, Helena Patterson & Courtney Davis
King Arthur's Round Table, Martin Biddle
King of the Celts: Arthurian Legends and the Celtic Tradition, Jean Markale
Kings and Queens of Early Britain, Geoffrey Ashe, including a discussion of King Arthur.
The Knight and Chivalry, Richard Barber, an excellent reference.
Knights, Andrea Hopkins
Lady of the Lake in Arthurian Legend, The, Christopher Dean
Landscapes of Legend: A Photographic Journey Through the Secret Heart of Britain, John Matthews & Michael J. Stead -- contains many sites of interest to Arthurian scholars.
Legends of King Arthur in Art, The (Arthurian Studies, 22), Muriel Whitaker
The Little Book of Celtic Lore, John & Caitlin Matthews
The Mammoth Book of King Arthur, Mike Ashley. 704-page paperback edition published by Carroll & Graf. Mentions DAWNFLIGHT as being "...one of the more original of the recent historical re-creations". Also available in hardcover.
Merlin, Norma Goodrich. Another collection of intriguing but mostly unsupported speculations that I found useful in the development of my fiction.
Merlin: Priest of Nature, Jean Markale
Merlin: The Prophetic Vision and the Mystic Life, R.J. Stewart
Most Wise and Valiant Ladies, Andrea Hopkins, a study of women in medieval literature.
Myth and National Identity in 19th-Century Britain: The Legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood, Stephanie Barczewski
Mythology of the British Isles, Geoffrey Ashe, includes mention of the Arthurian Legends. Out of print but perhaps someone has a used copy for sale.
The New Arthurian Encyclopedia, Ed. Norris Lacy. One of the most comprehensive guides to Arthuriana ever compiled.
The Old Order Changeth: The Arthurian Legend and the Myth of Return in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Debra N. Mancoff
The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain, Peter Salway. This excellent reference is out of print but perhaps someone has a used copy for sale.
Paganism in Arthurian Romance, John Darrah
Picts, Anna Ritchie - an excellent reference that is, regrettably, currently out of print, although someone might have a used copy for sale. Also, it can be ordered from Amazon.co.uk.
The Picts and the Scots, Lloyd & Jennifer Laing
Popular Arthurian Traditions, Sally K. Slocum, also available in hardcover.
The Problem of the Picts, Frederick Threlfall Wainwright; out of print but perhaps someone has a used copy for sale.
The Quest for Arthur's Britain, Geoffrey Ashe - the first Arthurian nonfiction work I ever read, over two decades ago! And still one of the best general references around.
The Real King Arthur: The History of Post-Roman Britannia, AD 410-593, P.F.J. Turner
Reclamation of a Queen: Guinevere in Modern Fantasy, Barbara Ann Gordon-Wise
The Reel Middle Ages: American, Western & Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian Films about Medieval Europe, Kevin J. Harty. A comprehensive study of films from 1897-1996 that depict the Middle Ages, including discussions of films about King Arthur, Robin Hood, Joan of Arc, and other medieval figures and topics. Text supplemented by more than 100 film stills.
Reinventing King Arthur, Inga Bryden
Robin Hood/King Arthur (1998 video) - both classic legends on the same tape
Roman Britain, T.W. Potter
Roman Britain: Outpost of the Empire, H.H. Scullard
Roman Britain and Early England, 55 BC - AD 871, Peter & Hunter Blair
Roman Empire of Ammianus Marcellinus, John Matthews. Ammianus Marcellinus was one of the writers of antiquity to document not only the existence of female Celtic warriors, but the fact that they often fought more fiercely than their male counterparts.
The Roman Soldier, G.R. Watson. Despite its 1969 publication date, this is probably the single most comprehensive volume about the life, promotion expectations, duties, religious practices, etc. of the "average" Roman soldier. A great reference for the student or writer of Roman and post-Roman Britain.
The Roman War Machine, John Peddie. Since I'm depicting Arthur as he probably was -- a Romano-Celtic warlord -- I've found this to be an indispensable reference for the logistics of the type of warfare with which he most likely would have been familiar.
Romance, Vision & Satire, Jessie L. Weston, who uses various Arthurian examples to make some of her points.
The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend: The Archetypal Themes, Images, and Characters of the Arthurian Cycle, Gareth Knight
Symbol Stones of Scotland, The, Anthony Jackson; out of print but perhaps someone has a used copy for sale.
The Use of Arthurian Legend in Hollywood Film: From Connecticut Yankees to Fisher Kings, Rebecca & Samuel Umland
The Warrior Queens, Antonia Fraser - a classic reference work citing the impact of powerful women throughout the ages.
Warriors of Arthur, John Mattews & Bob Stewart; out of print, which is a shame because I return to my copy again and again! I won't part with mine, but perhaps someone else has a used copy for sale.
Women of the Celts, Jean Markale
World of the Celts, Simon James
The World of King Arthur, Christopher Snyder
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Revised 19 March 2009 
Arthurian Bookstore Departments: [General References] [Religious References] [Ancient Texts] [Arthurian Fiction] [Juvenile & YA Fiction] [Videos & Music]
