The Saxon Shore (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 4)

A GOOD ADDITION TO A GREAT SERIES IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORMAT

"The Saxon Shore" is the fourth book in "The Camolud Chronicles" series, an historical-fiction book dealing with the events leading up to and covering the possible roots, life, and times of the King Arthur legends. The series starts with "The Skystone" and ends with "The Eagle". This is a very good attempt by the author, Jack Whyte, to describe the possible ancestors, characters, and relationships involved in this enduring story. "The Saxon Shore" covers the the time period shortly after the birth of Arthur and up to the time when he was approximately 10 years old. The era of history covered by the books has been throughly researched by the author and retains a tone of authenticity as regards the daily life and times of it's many and varied characters. The characters are carefully fleshed-out and if the 'legends' were actually real, this series does a great job in it's speculations as to how and why this story continues to fascinate readers 1,500 years after it's time period. I highly recommend both the series and this particular installment of it to anyone who enjoys a good historical-fiction read. Perhaps the best treatment of the subject that I have read. Should King Arthur have been a 'real' historical figure, this series, IMHO, covers the subject in a very believeable fashion.

book arrived as described in new like condition. having read the previous three volumes keeps the story line flowing.the author, jack whyte has researched his subject so well and is presented in a believeable format.

Jack WHyte has done it again. Another adventures addition to the Camulod Chronicals. Whyte's style of writting has made every page interesting to read. With ongoing adventures for the young Arthur, a leave from the colony is a must. This story of Arthur keeps getting better with each book.

Although this is ostensibly a review of "The Saxon Shore", it in actuality covers all four books of the series to date ("The Skystone", "The Singing Sword", "The Eagles' Brood", and "The Saxon Shore"), primarily focusing on the last two, since I've already written a review of the first two. Now, that I've totally lost you, I'll begin again. . .This series, The Camulod Chronicles, outlines the story of King Arthur as it might have been in a historical perspective, beginning with the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. If there were such a person as Arthur, he would have lived during this time. Most likely, he was a composite character, based on some of the more influential warlords and petty kings of the day. As an aside, I am reminded of a vacation in southern England that my family took in 1995. My sons, who were 11 and 13 at the time, could not understand my excitement in viewing the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, asking "How can this be the birthplace of someone who never was?" But, that's a different story. . .The first two books of the series, which outlined the founding of Camulod (or Camelot) and Avalon and the forging of the sword Excalibur, were told from the viewpoint of an old Roman soldier. These last two books, which detail the birth of Arthur and his early boyhood years, are told from the viewpoint of Merlin, or, "Merlyn" in the Chronicles. As an avid reader of Arthurian legend and all its various retellings, let me tell you that the character of Merlin is probably one of the most varied of them all, probably due to the fact that he was actually a minor character in Mallory. Hence, the details are free to be filled in by the current chronicler. Merlin ranges from an evil wizard living backward in time to a benevolent sorcerer to merely a human being who is just a little smarter than most. The most esoteric version of Merlin can be found in Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle in which Merlin is the son of Charis, the last princess of Atlantis, and Taliesen, the greatest of the Celtic Bards. Except for the exotic birth, Jack Whyte's Merlyn has much in common with Lawhead's Merlin in that both were mortal men, though a little larger than life in that they were fierce warriors, outstanding field generals, and outstanding scholars. Also, neither possessed the true gift of magic, though they were believed to by the masses of humanity.The Camulod Chronicles begin earlier than Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur", in a time that historically did occur, hence the tales carry an air of realism. The descriptions of the Roman influence on Britain in the late Fourth and early Fifth centuries are fascinating. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the pages just keep on turning. The story is easy to follow as well as fun. There are those critics who complain that some of the dates given are inaccurate, as well as some of the situations. As Don Henley sang, "Get over it." This is historical *fiction* at it's finest, with