Then Arthur Fought --- The Matter of Britain 376-634 A.D.

The historical Arthur, if he existed, was a battle-leader of the dark-age (5th-6th century) Britons against the invading Anglo-Saxons. It was Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century who created the familiar figure of King Arthur – King of all Britain and much beyond. Although presented, and long accepted, as history, Geoffrey's work is rightly described as a pseudohistory (false history). In Then Arthur Fought, Howard Wiseman has created something new: a quasi-history (as-if-it-were history) of Arthur – a plausible chronicle of dark-age Britain and Europe compatible with known history. Drawing upon hundreds of ancient and medieval texts, and his own inventions, Dr Wiseman has forged a unique conception of Arthur and his times. Carefully annotated, with 20 colour maps, Then Arthur Fought will appeal to anyone interested in the scope of possible dark-age histories, in the potential roots of medieval Arthurian pseudohistories, or in new frameworks for Arthurian fiction.