King Arthur

Cornwell's Arthur is fierce, dedicated and complex, a man with many problems, most of his own making. His impulsive decisions sometimes have tragic ramifications, as when he lustfully takes Guinevere instead of the intended Ceinwyn, alienating his friends and allies and inspiring a bloody battle. The secondary characters are equally unexpected, and are ribboned with the magic and superstition of the times. Merlin impresses as a remarkable personage, a crafty schemer fond of deceit and disguise. Lancelot is portrayed as a warrior-pretender, a dishonest charmer with dark plans of his own; by contrast, Galahad seems the noble soldier of purpose and dedication. Guinevere, meanwhile, no gentle creature waiting patiently in the moonlight, has designs and plots of her own. The story of these characters and others is narrated forcefully and with dry wit by Derfel Cadarn, one of Arthur's warriors, who later becomes a monk.

This is a well-loved retelling of the Arthurian legend, from Arthur's birth to the end of his reign, and is based largely on Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur.  The musical Camelot was based on it, as was Disney's The Sword in the Stone.  After White's death, a conclusion to The Once and Future King was found among his papers; it was published in 1977 as The Book of Merlyn.

At the dawn of his reign, a young king must prove his greatness...or lose a realm. Arthur is king -- but darkest evil has descended upon Britain's shores in many guises. Fragile alliances fray and tear, threatening all the noble liege has won with his wisdom and his blood. In this black time of plague and pestilence, Arthur's most trusted counselor Myrddin -- the warrior, bard, and kingmaker whom legend will name Merlin -- is himself to be tested on a mystical journey through his own extraordinary past. So Arthur must stand alone against a great and terrible adversary. For only thus can he truly win immortality -- and the name he will treasure above all others: Pendragon.

Merlin's world in all its complexities is memorably depicted in this first of three fictional studies by the author of the nonfiction The Quest for Merlin . The legendary figure tells his own story from his birth, including some mystical episodes. This book culminates in the battle of Dineirth, where Merlin has accompanied King Maelgun the Tall.