First published in 1485, Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” or “The Death of Arthur” collects together many of the known legends of King Arthur into one creative text. Beginning with his birth, “Le Morte d’Arthur” relates Arthur’s rise to become the King of England and leader of the Knights of the Round Table. Drawing upon numerous historical accounts of King Arthur, Malory’s work details the exploits of King Arthur against Lucius of Rome, of Sir Gareth of Orkney against the Red Knight of the Red Lands, of the quest for the holy grail, of the adulterous love affair of Tristan and Isolde, and of the rise of Sir Lancelot to the position of Arthur’s most eminent knight and his ultimate betrayal which leads to Arthur’s downfall. Through these tales the reader is transported back to the time of chivalry when the demands of one’s honor and duty rose above all else. The influence of Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” upon subsequent retellings of Arthurian legend cannot be overstated having been utilized as a primary source for both T. H. White’s “The Once and Future King” and Tennyson’s “The Idylls of the King.” This edition includes an introduction by Edward Strachey.
