Arthur: King of the Middle March
Author(s): Kevin Crossley-Holland
Activity & puzzle books - children
It is 1202, and thousands of knights and footsoldiers are mustering in Venice for the Fourth Crusade. Among them is young Arthur de Caldicot, squire to Lord Stephen. It is thrilling to be part of this huge gathering; but as Christian falls upon Christian and Saracens draw their scimitars, Arthur's eyes are opened to the realities of war. Looking into his seeing stone for guidance, he realises that the exploits of King Arthur and his knights, like those of the crusaders, are as grim as they are glorious. Meanwhile Arthur has his own concerns: Gatty, his betrothal, his dream of finding his mother, his relationship with his violent father and his churlish foster-brother. When he finally returns to England, all he has lost and all he has won come together. War, romance, murder, family quarrels, power politics, the conflict between Christianity and Islam: all these are elements in a story packed with drama and colour. Its vivid picture of daily life in medieval times is shot through with earthy comedy and the magic of the Arthurian legends. Darker and deeper than the first two books, this is a marvellous ending to a trilogy that has utterly captivated its readers.
Product Information
THE SEEING STONE won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and has sold over 152,000 copies in paperback; AT THE CROSSING-PLACES has sold over 59,000 copies in paperback. The trilogy has been sold in 21 languages and the first two books have sold a total of half a million copies worldwide already. KING OF THE MIDDLE MARCH in hardback has sold over 22,500 copies. "as bright and as vivid as the pictures in a Book of Hours. Deep scholarship, high imagination, and great gifts of storytelling have gone into this; I was spellbound." Philip Pullman, The Guardian. 'breathtakingly brilliant' Anne Fine, The Financial Times. Extensive publicity campaign and author appearances at all major literary festivals. Submitted for all Christmas catalogues, sumptuous POS and presenter.
Kevin Crossley-Holland won the Carnegie Medal in 1985 for STORM. His many notable books for adults and children include poetry, classic retellings and anthologies. He has written and presented many BBC radio programmes and is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
General Fields
- :
- : Hachette Children's Group
- : Orion Children's Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
- : 0.639
- : 01 January 2003
- : 222mm X 141mm X 44mm
- : United Kingdom
- : books
Special Fields
- : Kevin Crossley-Holland
- : Hardback
- : DEC03
- : 823.914
- : 416
- : 40 Line Drawing(s)