Born early in the twelfth century, Geoffrey of Monmouth was a clergyman who played a central role in the development and spread of the Arthurian legend from Britain to medieval Europe. But his works, both his "History of the Kings of Britain "and his "Life of Merlin," go far beyond King Arthur and his court: these works presented, for the first time, a coherent and proud account of Britain s early history, from its founding to its eclipse at the hands of the Anglo-Saxons.

The present volume provides an accessible account of the life and times of this extremely influential medieval...