Reviews (10)

Windsor Jr. High-Kyle W.
This book is a classic.While it didn't meet all of my expectations, it was still a very good book.It was researched excellently, down to every detail.Crossley-Holland carried on the series in a way that kept me hooked throughout the entire book.

A great story depicting the early twelve hundreds, but with reservations.
I usually do not read the reviews of others until I have written mine so I won't be influenced.I very much enjoyed the first book in the series, The Seeing Stone.I was surprised at how many "kid reviews" were run and have to repeat something I did in my first review.I consider these works by Kevin Crossley Holland outstanding and gave it five stars just as I give this one.However, I am concerned about the emphasis that the books are for children.It is true there is no profanity to the extreme, I refer to the implications of sexual activities that children under their teens may have problems with.If young children are to read these then their parents should screen them to discuss certain elements.There are also very good philosophical concepts that may be beyond the understanding of young children. This comes from a retired teacher and principalnow turned author and magazine publisher.
At The Crossing Places
I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting and it also had a lot of facts in it. The main character, Arthur is a gallant person, he always tries to do his best and work his hardest. As he becomes a squire, he goes through many twists an turns in his life and in his life in his seeing stone. This book is one of the best I've read. It construes a young boys life back in that time period. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arthur, King    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - History    3. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Fiction    6. Historical Fiction (Young Adult)    7. Identity    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Legends, Myths, & Fables - Arthurian    10. Magic    11. Middle Ages    12. Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / Arthurian   

Reviews (31)

Thor give me strength/ gib mir kraft
If you're looking for a good cheap book on norse mythology then you should buy this book. It starts off with an introduction which tell the kind of role these myhs played in the lives of the norse. It also helps set you up with some information on some of the god's and how these myths came into being.
Must-have reference.
Finally I've found it: the book of tales of Odin, and Thor, and Bifrost, and Ragnarok! What a pleasure to read the tales that inspired so much of the world's fantasy literature! Here you'll find the background stories behind and the likes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied or the Volsungs' Saga, and obviously the roots of Professor Tolkien's own Middle-Earth mythology, so numerous are the similarities.
Wonderful!
This book is truly wonderful! The author captures the spirit of the Norse times perfectly. He keeps the myths true to the originals and manages to make it an exciting read. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Norse mythology and to whoever enjoys a good book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    2. Myth & legend told as fiction    3. Norse religion   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (209)

Beowulf- five stars
This book was in PERFECT condition.There were no markings, rips, or other flaws.It was like buying it strait from a new book store.

Already looking forward to reading it again.
A wonderful, compact and powerful verse translation. I find myself reading most stanzas twice: first for content and then again to just listen to Heaney's precise and colorful poetry.

soooo boring
This is possibly the worst book I have ever read. The book is so repetative. The same event is explained at least three times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beowulf    2. Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. General    6. Legends, Anglo-Saxon   

Reviews (3)

Fascinating Reading
I'm a homeschooled student (in 10th grade). I read this book as part of a course on early European history, and have also referred to it while studying the history of the English language. Most of the translations are very accessible to the modern reader on their own, and Mr. Crossley-Holland's insightful commentary clears up those which are more difficult or obscure. Anyone who has a serious interest in the literature and culture of the Anglo-Saxons will not be disappointed in this book.

beautiful renderings of the elegies
I bought this book in an old edition paperback form in Dublin because it contained the major elegies such as the Wanderer and the Seafarer. I ended up being extremely satisifed not only with the beautiful translation of the Wanderer, but with all of the selections and with Crossley-Holland's comments. I was very thrilled to meet him recently at a reading in Seattle, where he was promoting his Arthur trilogy. I'll have to check that out.

A Fine Sampler
Another gem of the Oxford World's Classics series, Crossley-Holland's anthology presents a generous selection of poetry and prose covering the major genres of Anglo Saxon Lit.All the famous stuff is here -- Seafarer,Wanderer, Battle of Maldon,etc -- including a very fine Beowulf translationthat's highly readable without straying far from the literal meaning of theoriginal.Plus riddles, laws, sections of the Chronicle -- quite enough toget a rounded picture of this fascinating literature, and all welltranslated.The scholarly notes are sparse but adequate for an intro-leveltext.If I could make one suggestion for improvement, it would be to addthe Anglo-Saxon versions in a bilingual edition, so readers could have thesound and structure of the originals. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anglo-Saxons    2. English literature    3. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Great Britain    6. History    7. Literary collections    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Medieval    10. Military    11. Military - World War II    12. Modernized versions    13. Old English, ca. 450-1100    14. Sociology    15. Sources    16. English    17. Literary Criticism & Collections / Medieval    18. Literary studies: classical, early & medieval    19. Literature/English | British Literature | Anglo Saxon    20. Other prose: classical, early & medieval   

Subjects:  1. Historical fiction   

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 3-4    2. Fiction   

Reviews (1)

Amazing
Being named after one of the principle characters in the Mabinogion, I recieved this book for my first Christmas, and I have been fascinated with the Welsh myths ever since. The authors do a marvelous job of joining together the disjointed translations, making the stories ok for children without disney-fying them beyond hope. The wonder and strangeness remains, and the magic. It is a shame that it is out of print, but I would still definitely reccommend this book to anyone, adult or child. Margaret Jones's watercolors add to it immesurably. (...) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Classics    4. Folklore    5. Tales    6. Wales    7. Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (31)

Cornwall Central Middle School, NW, NY 6th Grader
Hi. I am a 6th grader. I am writing a review on Amizon.com about the book Arthur: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland, one of the major legends of the world. I think the book was a very interesting book. I would give the book a 9 out of 10 because of the books interesting vocabulary and the imagination contained in it. The book starts with King Arthur when he was 13 and the adventures of hunting and yard-skills and whatever Arthur becomes and faces. The story starts in the Manor of Caldicot where Arthur lives. The book is a good book for ages around 7 or higher because of a little violence. I hope people will read this book because this book will open the readers mind into a powerful joyful imagination and they will visualize a wonderful world of fantasy and adventure. That is my review on my book.

Book Review
Arthur-in-the-seeing-stone steps up to the anvil and pulls out the sword. He is the trueborn king of all Britain. To find out what happens next, read this exciting fantasy, about a boy in search of his quest. Arthur is a regular thirteen year old boy in his time, around the 12th century. He is learning to read and write, and is very good at it, but his true passion is to become a squire and then a knight. He must learn to master the skill of swordplay and jousting to do so, but his best talent is archery. His good friend Merlin is very strange, and Arthur believes he can do some magic. Merlin gives Arthur a gift, an obsidian stone. Also known as the seeing stone. Arthur sees images in the stone and people that resemble his brother and father. In the stone, the story that takes place is many, many ages before Arthur's time, and there is a king, King Uther. He and Queen Ygerna have a baby boy, thirteen years ago, but no one knows who it is. King Uther must give his baby to a hooded magical man, who later turns out to be Merlin. The boy is reaised by foster parents until he is needed to take the throne. Later, King Uther is poisened by Britain's enemies, the Saracens. King Uther asks the archbishop to find his son and have him claim the throne. The hooded man sticks a sword into an anvil and puts a charm on it so that the next king is the one that is able to pull out the sword. Many knights, earls, and lords attempt this difficult task but all fail. Then Arthur tries it, and is successful. No one can believe that this thirteen year old is the new king because he is still a boy. His father, well really foster father, tells him about his real father, the king. This is very similar to real Arthur's life. His uncle is really his father. His real father is a mean, rude man, and also a murderer. He hates this because it also means he cannot marry Grace, his half-sister that he used to think was his cousin. Arthur is very happy though because Lord Stephen requested him as his squire and to join him and take the cross back from the Saracens in Jeruseleum. This book is very good because it is very interesting and makes you think about it alot. It was a little bit confusing though because so much was going on in basically two different worlds. But this book is deffinetly worth it.
Seeing Stone

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Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Fantasy    3. Myth & legend told as fiction   

Reviews (5)

Ian Myles Slater on: Still One of the Better Translations
I own, and have read, a couple of dozen translations of "Beowulf," and have probably read half that many more; and that is a fraction of those published. Despite suggestions on the Amazon page that this version by Charles Kennedy is a new, or at least recent, translation, it is not one of the latest, by a good sixty years.
An epic Anglo-Saxon poem of ancient days
I was alerted to the existence of this epic poem through an animated version of it on TV one Sunday afternoon, not the usual cartoon-likepresentation but a wondrous dark expression akin to Ridley Scott directionor the animation first used in the animated version of "The Lord ofthe Rings". This short feature was really quite superb and it gave methe impetus to buy a copy of it in book form. Similarly, this translationby Crossley-Howard is wonderful in all its epic proportions, the Grendel,its mother and the struggle to defeat it. It is of course a heroic tale andthe hero Beowulf is certainly in the classic mold after all it was poetrysuch as this and related tales eg The Illiad, Norse Sagas, to name just twowhich originated the idea of the hero in present form. It must beremembered that this is an Anglo-Saxon tale at or around the 6th Century ADand as such based in Denmark or Sweden rather than England (named afterthem of course). Strictly speaking it does not represent an aspect ofEnglish history rather a representation of Scandinavian life of the time.It may, as such, bear some resemblance to Norse sagas which were to yet tocome some 300 or 400 years later.As a window on Anglo-Saxon life it doesreveal some aspects such as the character of men and women or rather howthey were supposed to be, similarly it shows that human affairs haven'treally changed that much since then and the commonly held belief thatancient times were primitive in comparison to today are mistaken. Allaspects of human personality are present, such as greed, corruption, anger,heroism, kindness and so on. A wonderful read if you are short on time.

An epic Anglo-Saxon poem of ancient days
I was alerted to the existence of this epic poem through an animated version of it on TV one Sunday afternoon, not the usual cartoon-likepresentation but a wondrous dark expression akin to Ridley Scott or theanimation first used in the animated version of "The Lord of theRings". This short feature was really quite superb and it gave me theimpetus to buy a copy of it in book form. Similarly this translation byCrossley-Howard is wonderful in all its epic proportions, the Grendel, itsmother and the struggle to defeat it. It is of course a heroic tale and thehero Beowulf is certainly in the classic mold after all it was poetry suchas this and related tales eg The Iliad, Norse Sagas to name just two whichoriginated the idea of the hero in present form. It must be remembered thatthis is an Anglo-Saxon tale at or around the 6th Century AD and as suchbased in Denamrk or Sweden rather than England (named after them ofcourse). Strictly speaking it does not represent an aspect of Englishhistory rather a representation of Scandinavian life of the time. It may assuch bear some resemblance to Norse sagas which were to yet to come some300 or 400 years later.As a window on Ango-Saxon ife it does reveal someaspects such as the character of men and women or rather how they weresupposed to be, similarly it shows that human affairs haven't reallychanged that much since then and the commonly held belief that ancienttimes were primitive in compasrison to today are mistaken. All aspects ofhuman personality are present, such as greed, corruption, anger, heroism,kindness and so on. A wonderful read given a short time available. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beowulf    2. Classics    3. English poetry    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. Epic poetry, English (Old)    6. General    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. Literature: Classics    9. Modernized versions    10. Old English, ca. 450-1100    11. Poetry    12. British Isles    13. English    14. Fiction / Classics    15. Literary studies: classical, early & medieval    16. Literature/English | British Literature | Anglo Saxon    17. Poetry anthologies: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (5)

Ian Myles Slater on: Still One of the Better Translations
I own, and have read, a couple of dozen translations of "Beowulf," and have probably read half that many more; and that is a fraction of those published. Despite suggestions on the Amazon page that this version by Charles Kennedy is a new, or at least recent, translation, it is not one of the latest, by a good sixty years.
An epic Anglo-Saxon poem of ancient days
I was alerted to the existence of this epic poem through an animated version of it on TV one Sunday afternoon, not the usual cartoon-likepresentation but a wondrous dark expression akin to Ridley Scott directionor the animation first used in the animated version of "The Lord ofthe Rings". This short feature was really quite superb and it gave methe impetus to buy a copy of it in book form. Similarly, this translationby Crossley-Howard is wonderful in all its epic proportions, the Grendel,its mother and the struggle to defeat it. It is of course a heroic tale andthe hero Beowulf is certainly in the classic mold after all it was poetrysuch as this and related tales eg The Illiad, Norse Sagas, to name just twowhich originated the idea of the hero in present form. It must beremembered that this is an Anglo-Saxon tale at or around the 6th Century ADand as such based in Denmark or Sweden rather than England (named afterthem of course). Strictly speaking it does not represent an aspect ofEnglish history rather a representation of Scandinavian life of the time.It may, as such, bear some resemblance to Norse sagas which were to yet tocome some 300 or 400 years later.As a window on Anglo-Saxon life it doesreveal some aspects such as the character of men and women or rather howthey were supposed to be, similarly it shows that human affairs haven'treally changed that much since then and the commonly held belief thatancient times were primitive in comparison to today are mistaken. Allaspects of human personality are present, such as greed, corruption, anger,heroism, kindness and so on. A wonderful read if you are short on time.

An epic Anglo-Saxon poem of ancient days
I was alerted to the existence of this epic poem through an animated version of it on TV one Sunday afternoon, not the usual cartoon-likepresentation but a wondrous dark expression akin to Ridley Scott or theanimation first used in the animated version of "The Lord of theRings". This short feature was really quite superb and it gave me theimpetus to buy a copy of it in book form. Similarly this translation byCrossley-Howard is wonderful in all its epic proportions, the Grendel, itsmother and the struggle to defeat it. It is of course a heroic tale and thehero Beowulf is certainly in the classic mold after all it was poetry suchas this and related tales eg The Iliad, Norse Sagas to name just two whichoriginated the idea of the hero in present form. It must be remembered thatthis is an Anglo-Saxon tale at or around the 6th Century AD and as suchbased in Denamrk or Sweden rather than England (named after them ofcourse). Strictly speaking it does not represent an aspect of Englishhistory rather a representation of Scandinavian life of the time. It may assuch bear some resemblance to Norse sagas which were to yet to come some300 or 400 years later.As a window on Ango-Saxon ife it does reveal someaspects such as the character of men and women or rather how they weresupposed to be, similarly it shows that human affairs haven't reallychanged that much since then and the commonly held belief that ancienttimes were primitive in compasrison to today are mistaken. All aspects ofhuman personality are present, such as greed, corruption, anger, heroism,kindness and so on. A wonderful read given a short time available. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beowulf    2. Classics    3. English poetry    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. Epic poetry, English (Old)    6. General    7. Literature - Classics / Criticism    8. Literature: Classics    9. Modernized versions    10. Old English, ca. 450-1100    11. Poetry    12. British Isles    13. English    14. Fiction / Classics    15. Literary studies: classical, early & medieval    16. Literature/English | British Literature | Anglo Saxon    17. Poetry anthologies: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (3)

Poetic and beautifully illustrated
My husband and I picked out this version of the Christmas story because we loved the poetic language and the pictures (which seemed true to the actual look and feel of the people and times, as opposed to other anglicized versions). Our son is only a year and half, so I wasn't sure he'd be interested in it this year, but he loves it! I don't know if it's the pictures or the rhythmic words, but it's become required reading every night before bed.

Beautifully illustrated
I'm compelled to write a review in favor of this book because of the review from TX.This book is beautifully illustrated and the analogies and alliteration make it wonderful to read aloud.Each page gives a different perspective on the miraculous birth.It will not be the ONLY book that will teach your child about the true meaning of Christmas, but it is a fresh take on the traditional tale.Probably more interesting for 6-8 year-olds than preschoolers.We plan to make this book part of our annual Christmas tradition.

Not the best
I was looking for a book to introduce my 3.5 year old to the real meaning of Christmas.Unfortunately, this is NOT the right book to purchase.It doesn't flow while trying to read it to your child.Also, it doesn't explain the story in a format for a child that young.Even an older child wouldn't be captivated by this book.Basically it's boring. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Bibles    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Christmas    5. Holidays & Celebrations - Christmas    6. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas    7. Jesus Christ    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Nativity    11. Religion - Bible - Stories    12. Religion - Christianity - General    13. Juvenile Fiction / Holidays & Festivals / Christmas   

Subjects:  1. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    2. Poetry    3. Single Author   

Reviews (3)

NOT Appropriate for Children
This book uses language that is not suitable for children. Defintely not G. It repeatedly talks about taking lovers and making love and the poem "In a Midnight Garden" just does not belong in a children's book. The publisher, editors, reviewers, etc. really need to inform you before you buy a book. The illustrations are great and the layout of the book is terrific. I planned to use it as reference to look up King Arthur lore that appeared in other literature we are reading but it simply is not suitable for kids under the age of high school (if that). I'm sending it back.

King Arthur Lives.....
For those entranced by the magical stories of King Arthur, Excalibur, the Sword in the Stone, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the Knights of the Round Table, Kevin Crossley-Holland has written the quintessential book detailing the life and times of this charismatic hero and his court.Beautifully and painstakingly researched, and rich in history, trivia, fun facts, anecdotes, and legend, Mr Crossley-Holland brings medieval England and Camelot to life.Hear the many stories, among them Merlin, The Sword in the Stone, the Lady of the Lake, Sir Mordred, Marie de France, and Morgan le Fay.Learn the ways of the court and castle life, dressing, arms and armor, tournaments and tilting, love, quests and adventures, magic and magicians, troubadours, art, and so much more.His engaging and entertaining text is enhanced by Peter Malone's marvelously vivid artwork, and together these two transport the reader back in time to the enchanting world of chivalrous knights, lovely and fair maidens, and evil villains.Perfect for young lovers of the Arthurian legend, 12 and older, who have begun to ask the hard questions..."Did King Arthur exist?Was there really a court called Camelot?Where exactly was Arthur's kingdom? When did he rule?And what was he like?"Kevin Crossley-Holland gives the definitive answer..."To begin with, we scarcely need to know.When we first meet Arthur, we are caught up in a long dream we hope will never end."The legend lives.Believe and Enjoy!

The magic and romance of King Arthur and his court.
The World of King Arthur is an outstanding companion book for anyone interested in the Arthurian legends.The beautifully written entries explain the who, what, when and where of the Arthurian world.,(like, the difference between the sword-in-the stone and Excalibur, or what is known of the historical Arthur.)Also, scattered through the book are delightful nuggets like Kiss Me, How to be a Butler, Verb that Carving, In the the Midnight Garden. Translated from original sources they are wonderful windows into the medieval world.The illustrations are rich, inventive and instinctive.An absolutely gorgeous book, a delight to read and to look at, a must for Arthur fans. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Britons    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Folklore    5. General    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Kings and rulers    9. Kings, queens, rulers, etc    10. Knights and knighthood    11. Social Science - Folklore & Mythology    12. Juvenile Fiction / Biographical / European   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (209)

Beowulf- five stars
This book was in PERFECT condition.There were no markings, rips, or other flaws.It was like buying it strait from a new book store.

Already looking forward to reading it again.
A wonderful, compact and powerful verse translation. I find myself reading most stanzas twice: first for content and then again to just listen to Heaney's precise and colorful poetry.

soooo boring
This is possibly the worst book I have ever read. The book is so repetative. The same event is explained at least three times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beowulf    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - General    5. Folklore & Mythology    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Legends, Anglo-Saxon    8. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title    9. Literature/English | British Literature | Anglo Saxon    10. Myth & legend told as fiction   

Features

• Teacher's Edition

Editorial Review

A timeless story deftly retold, this adaptation of Hans ChristianAndersen's Read more

Reviews (1)

A new look and touch to the traditional tale
Kevin Crossley-Howard retells this classic, with Meilo So's Asian-inspired paintings adding a new look and touch to the traditional tale. An oversized, ugly duckling finds new life in his looks as he grows into his abilities in this warm story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children: Babies & Toddlers    3. Fairy Tales & Folklore - European    4. Fairy tales    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Readers - Beginner    7. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 4-6    2. Fiction anthologies & collections    3. Myth & legend told as fiction    4. Myths & mythology