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This two-volume set is the first treatment of Caxton's work in over a century. It is the first-ever modern English translation of the work, providing an easily accessible translation combined with contextual and critical information.

It examines two aspects of the Eracles chronicle. First, the book illuminates the history of the text by referring to the Latin and French ancestors of Caxton's Eracles, as well as investigating Caxton's methods, abilities and motivations. Previous treatments of the chronicle are examined, correcting discrepancies and providing alternative interpretations. Second, the book investigates the history in the text by using the latest research to further contextualize and clarify the military events described. The author has developed a striking new concept of understanding the interpersonal relationships between the Crusaders, allowing the reader to perceive the inner workings of the Crusade itself.

The Eracles text, a condensed Crusader chronicle driving from William of Tyre's "A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea", concerns the march to and campaigning in the Holy Land, focusing on the suffering and heroism of the First Crusaders as they sought to gain glory for God and establish a Christian state in a distant and misunderstood environment. In 1481, William Caxton produced a Middle English translation of this text, which he named A Boke Intituled Eracles, or Godeffroy of Boloyne.

Dana Cushing holds a degree in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto. She is interested in all aspects of medieval and military history, specializing in the Third Crusade. She has published articles on early Crusader genealogy and Joanna Plantagenet, Queen of Sicily. She is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps (activated reserve enlisted).

An astonishing tour of 400 years of laughs from the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. Not just the greats like Wodehouse, Twain, and Garrison Keillor but brilliant (but now forgotten) writers, plus cult favorites like Auberon Waugh, Stella Gibbons and P.J. O'Rourke. Highly recommended.

As the long title suggests this is a scholarly edition of Malory's classic story of King Arthur and his knights. As such, it forms a counter-balance to the edition edited by Vinaver and Field which is based on the Winchester manuscript. Even though I tend to prefer the Winchester manuscript's readings over the Caxton edition's, I believe this is an excellent edition of the Caxton. No Arthurian library is really complete without it.

Obviously if you are looking at this book you have more than just a mere passing interest in King Arthur and Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte Darthur. This edition makes available the origional text with the origional orthography adding only modern punctuation and paragraphing to facilitate reading. The book contains two volumes the first contains the actual text. The second contains some notes showing variations in the various textual versions of Le Morte Darthur as well as a glossery of middle-english vocabulary. The book can be used by the novice and the scholar alike. While the versions translated into a more modern english are fantastic there is no substitute for the flavour of the origional. As Robert Frost said,"poetry is what is lost in translation."

This book is essentially a transcription of Caxton's 1481 text. There are several minor errors but overall the book is quite accurate typographically. Difficult passages have been helped by references to Caxton's French sources; however further reference to the original chronicle of which this is a part, William of Tyre's "History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea", belies some of Colvin's work.

An introduction to Godefrey of Boloyne and his background are included -- Colvin has done some good detective work regarding the various manuscript editions available to Caxton. There is biographical index provided which tends to be inaccurate, or at least dated; the geographical index suffers similarly.

Although published over a century ago (1893) the book is really the only treatment of this manuscript available. This reviewer is translating Caxton's text and so has worked extensively with this book, and feels it serves its purpose well.