Books by Sir Thomas Malory

Sir Thomas Malory (c. 1415–1471) was an English knight, soldier, and author whose landmark compilation Le Morte d'Arthur stands as the definitive, foundational work of Arthurian literature in the English language. Living during the chaotic dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses, Malory composed his monumental Arthurian romance while imprisoned in Newgate Prison in London. Drawing upon French prose romances and English poetic traditions, Malory unified disparate medieval legends into a sweeping, heroic narrative tracing the rise and tragic fall of King Arthur, the fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the fateful love between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot. Printed in 1485 by William Caxton, Le Morte d'Arthur established the enduring chivalric ideals, romantic mythology, and moral tragedy of Camelot that inspired Tennyson, the Pre-Raphaelites, and modern fantasy literature.