The Tale of Sir Gawain

The Tale of Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, lies feverish and wounded in his tent outside the French Castle of Sir Lancelot. The Round Table has collapsed into warring factions. Arthur and Gawain are besieging the man who used to be their closest friend, Lancelot. As his anxious brain circles around this terrible truth, Sir Gawain tells his young squire the story of the rise and fall of the ‘fairest fellowship of noble knights that ever served a Christian king’, as seen through his own eyes. He tells of Arthur’s boyhood, and what happened when the young king drew the magic sword from the stone and claimed his kingdom; of his own adventure with the supernatural Green Knight; of the search for the Holy Grail; and the rivalries and jealousies that splintered the fellowship and set friend against friend.

It is rare to find the Arthurian legends retold in one consecutive story. Neil Philip, with the help of the atmospheric line drawings of Charles Keeping, has presented a thrilling tale that works towards a dramatic climax.

About the Author

Neil Philip has edited more than a dozen anthologies and books for children, including The Penguin Book of English Folktales, A New Treasury of Poetry, The Adventures of Odysseus, The Illustrated Book of Myths, and Christmas Fairy Tales.

Charles Keeping was born in Lambeth, South London. He illustrated over 100 books and is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant artists of his generation. His last book, Adam and Paradise Island was published by Oxford in 1989. He died in May, 1988.