New York Times bestseller "An incomplete but highly compelling retelling . . . An action-packed, doom-haunted saga, full of vivid natural description."—New York Times Book Review
The Fall of Arthur recounts in alliterative verse the last campaign of King Arthur, who, even as he stands at the threshold of Mirkwood, is summoned back to Britain by news of the treachery of Mordred. Already weakened in spirit by Guinevere’s infidelity with the now-exiled Lancelot, Arthur must rouse his knights to battle one last time against Mordred’s rebels and foreign mercenaries. Powerful, passionate, and filled with vivid imagery, this unfinished work of epic poetry reveals Tolkien’s gift for storytelling at its brilliant best. Christopher Tolkien, editor, contributes three illuminating essays of literary analysis that explore the literary world of King Arthur, reveal the deeper meaning of the verses and the painstaking work his father, J.R.R. Tolkien, applied to bring the poem to a finished form, and investigate the intriguing links between The Fall of Arthur and Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
"Compelling in pace, haunted by loss, it lives up to expectations."—Daily Beast
"Erudite and beautiful." – NPR.org
This definitive edition presents the complete work, contextualized by deep scholarly analysis:
- Tolkien's Lost Arthurian Epic: Read the only major poetic work by J.R.R. Tolkien on the legend of King Arthur, presented here for the first time.
- A Kingdom's Tragic Fall: Follow Arthur's final campaign, from the borders of Mirkwood to a Britain betrayed by Mordred and torn apart by the infidelity of Guinevere and Lancelot.
- Deep Literary Scholarship: Explore three extensive essays by Christopher Tolkien that illuminate the poem's creation, its context in the legend, and his father's painstaking writing process.
- Links to Middle-earth: Discover the intriguing connections between The Fall of Arthur and the vast mythology of The Silmarillion, revealed by the world's foremost Tolkien expert.