Arthur of Albion is a great book. A book you’d love to just look at, a book you’d love to read to your children, or let them read themselves.

For one, the stories themselves are an array of Arthurian myths and legends. Each of them is a fairytale in a nutshell – long enough to be a real story, short enough to keep even the youngest interested. But then, that’s the hallmark of John Matthews’ Arthurian publications.

about the author:

John Matthews (1948) is a leading mythographer of the Arthurian and Grail legends. He has written over a hundred books, many of them about the myths and legends as well as the real history of King Arthur and his knights. His best-known work are The Grail: The Quest for Eternal Life, At the Table of the Grail, Merlin through the Ages, The Unknown Arthur and Warriorsof Arthur (with Bob Stewart). John Matthews is also a master storyteller and draws from his wide experience of folk tales to find stories that will be new to many young readers. He is the author of numerous highly-acclaimed books on Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology, and has co-written a number of books with his wife Caitlin. This is John's third book for Barefoot, joining The Wizard King & Other Spellbinding Tales (1998) and The Barefoot Book of Giants, Ghosts and Goblins (1999). Learn more about John and Caitlín Matthews at their website: Hallowquest

Read the interview with John Matthews about his latest book.

about the illustrator:

Pavel Tatarnikov (1971) was born in Brest (Belarus) into a family of artists, and he has loved drawing since childhood. After starting at the State School of Fine Arts and Music at the young age of only eleven, graduating in 1989, he went on to study at the Belarusian Academy of Arts, also in Minsk. Since 1997 he is a member of the Belarusian Artists Union. Since 2001 he teaches drawing at the Belarusian Academy of Fine Arts. Pavel has since illustrated many story books, varying from Russian fairy tales such as The Princess in the Underground Kingdom and Seven Wonders of Belarus to Shakesearian stories such as The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, King Lear and The Tempest, or other myths such as The Rhinegold.

Pavel Tatarnikov spent a year in England while working on his breathtaking illustrations for Arthur of Albion. The recipient of many awards, Pavel particularly enjoys projects that combine his love of myths and legends, literature and history. He currently lives in Belarus with his wife, Irina. Visit his web site at www.tatarnikov.com

about the book:

The book is a bit set up like an encyclopaedia: starting with the land (Albion), the hero (Arthur) and his trappings (the sword etc.), it moves on in a chronological fashion along all the tales and stories that together make the corpus of 'Arthurian Legend'. These longer stories are interspaced with short sections which deal with the details, such as the magical creatures, Merlin, camelot and such more.

Each page is illustrated with several beautiful creations of Pavel tatrnikov:

These creations of art are a reason by themselves to buy this book. they fully enhance the text by John Matthews, drawing the reader ever deeper into the realms of magic and chivalrous history that together make the story of King Arthur.

After relating every quest, fight, intrigue and magical encounter of Arthur and his knights, this book, sadly but surely, also ends with the demise of the great British king. But, as if to offer solace for this sorrowful but inevitable end, the book has a big surprise in store - a large poster of the magical country, Albion.

All in all this is a great read, and a book that cannot fail on the shelves of any Arthurian enthusiast.