Audio extract
Arthur de Caldicot, now page to Lord Stephen, sets off to Bruges and thence across France to Venice as the first stage in the preparations for going on a Crusade. On his journey, he looks into the shining stone that Merlin gave him and sees the legends of King Arthur and his knights revealed to him. They make a counterpoint to his own experiences as he struggles to do the right thing in relation to his father, the cruel Sir William, to his brother Serle, and the complex situations he encounters in the Manor of Caldicot as well as on his travels.'it is of course wonderful to read such a lyrical, authoritative and accessible retelling of the Arthurian legends . . best of all is the figure of Arthur de Caldicot, a true child of his time, would-be man of action and poet in spite of himself. I truly love this book.' Jan Mark'... 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.' Phillip Pullman