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The Quest for King Arthur by James Frost Trafford Publishing
book review by Cynthia Collins
For centuries, millions of people have heard about King Arthur, the formation of the Round Table, and the story of Camelot. But was King Arthur a real person? This is the subject of Mr.Frost's book and a question that is not easily answered. The author begins his quest by giving examples of real people who have existed even though there was no documentation as proof. He uses the accomplishments of Mayan rulers and William the Conqueror to help make his point. He then goes into detail about the various spellings for the same name bringing into account the different languages and peoples that were scattered throughout England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland during Arthur's life—the late 5th or early 6th century. Added to that is more history regarding not only the search for this king, but for Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, and other characters that are so much a part of this story.
The author's research is very thorough. The bibliography is four pages and contains a list of approximately seventy-five books and articles which he used as source material. The text is so detailed that it is, at times, difficult to follow. It contains some phrases in Latin, references to literature, names and places written in Old English, Irish, and Welsh, as well as what those names mean in modern English. Extensive references to geography and battles would have benefited from the assistance of maps. Scholars and university students working on graduate level degrees in history, literature, or Arthurian legends would find this book an excellent source for research.