This book is an exciting introduction to the Arthurian legends. In the opening essay, Geoffrey Ashe traces the historical development of the King Arthur story from its ancient Celtic origins to recent archeological evidence. Ashe underscores Arthur's potency as an archetype: "Arthur symbolizes a deeply rooted factor of human nature" (p. 32). In the second part of the book, the artistic representations of Arthur and related figures tease out some of the ambiguities in this rich system of legends. In the final section, "Themes", Ashe uses text and images to show the parallels of Arthur in other cultures and the echoes of the myth in the modern age.

This book is certainly one of the best sources of information for King Arthur's history. I really enjoy the way it gathers the information. I all started when Uther Pendragon, England's king died, and then all barons and rich people start to offer themselves to be the new king because uther had no sons. Merlin, a uncredible magicican had the idea of putting a sword in a stone and put a spell on it, who could take it out would become the new king.

Soon Arthur would become England's king, he had many achievements and one of them was the Round Table, a circular table that gathered all the best cavaliers of the reign.

If you're still seeking the Holy Grail of an "historical Arthur", don't bother with this book. You won't find any theories about a sub-Roman war band leader here. This is a scholarly work about the Arthurian legend that does not seek to "prove" that Arthur, the man, actually existed.

This book is about whence came the IDEA of Arthur. The author does review the extremely limited original sources which mention Arthur and then works to explain what the purpose was behind the idea of Arthur. Who needed him as a symbol? How did they use Arthur for their own dynastic advancement?

The author focuses on the pre-Galfridian (pre-Geoffrey of Monmouth) Latin texts which mention Arthur. He provides historic contextual background to explain where these works were written, why they were written, and who their intended original audience was.

Once the original purpose for the idea of Arthur is established, the book then reviews the rise and fall and rise again of the Arthurian legend from the French troubadours to the Tudor kings on through the Victorians and up to the present day cults of Camelot.

An excellent and fast read for the general public about a scholarly topic that has been much neglected.

I,being the daughter of the deceased, Felix Melendez, who knew of John Knight, was very touched by the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the raw humor mixed with thought-provoking philosophical concepts.

"Knowledge Management", "Intellectual Capital", "Organizational Learning" and similar concepts all aim to help managers create more competitive success and shareholder value through better use of their firm's intangible assets (e.g., individual and collective knowledge, be it explicit or tacit). In spite of the intuitive appeal of these ideas, in too many organizations managers have a hard time applying them practically and measuring their results. This book directly addresses these issues in a manner that is both accessible and practical. To be sure, many more articles and books will be written on this subject; this one, however, should stand the test of time because of its usefulness to managers who actually have to implement these ideas and live with their results.

This is a great book! I highly recommend it!

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

Porter's unique insights and experience provide a case study for those building a high-tech economy. He stresses the need to integrate 1) academia, 2) government, and 3) the private sector with impressive results in Houston and other parts of Texas (MCC, HARC).

This book is an invaluable source of perspective on understanding the subtle linkage between driving world class manufacturing and human relations. Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld is clearly one of the pre-eminent scholars in the field of labor relations today and this book demonstrates his ability to diagnose and explain complex scenarios and relationships with ease and clarity.

A great deal of care was putting into writing the first edition for the centennial in 1935 and the information presenbted is almost always reliable. It was written by an engineer who was precise about details. So, if that is what you want, it's a five-star book, although stuffy in style.

The brief addenda written by Grove Farm and McBryde for the sesquintenntial add almost nothing over the next 50 years. Those were dramatic years and if you want a complete and balanced story up to the present, this omission drops the 1985 revised edition to two stars or less.

An excellent alternate choice has just been published by Mutual titled "The Story of Kola" that brings the story up-to-date and also includes Poipu. Much more readable and just as accurate.