Reviews

This is the first volume of five that will present the Vulgate and post-Vulgate cycle of Arthurian tales together in English for the first time. Written early in the 13th century, these Old French manuscripts have been partially translated, but a complete, organized English edition of the whole has never been published. Volume 1 contains The History of the Holy Grail and The Story of Merlin ; Lancelot , The Quest for the Holy Grail , The Death of Arthur , and the later post-Vulgate stories will follow in succeeding volumes over the next two years. Lacy, editor of The Arthurian Encyclopedia (Bedrick Bks., 1987) and The Arthurian Handbook (Garland, 1988), leads a team of nine translators in providing scholarly versions that also read easily. An excellent start for a set that will be a necessity for academic and large public libraries.-- Pamela A. Grudzien, Central Michigan Univ., Mt. Pleasant