I have reviewed each volume separately and am copying them to the collection as a whole.

Marvels and Magic

This is the first of the three volume British Myths and Legends collection. Richard Barber has chosen a mixture of sources and translations and presented them in chronological order. Thus we start with myths about the origins of Britain and move on, in this volume, to early history and the marvels and magic of the title.

I enjoyed most of the entries and even came across some unfamiliar tales. This is not the kind of book to read straight through but dipping in and reading a story here and a story there is a pleasant way to spend some time.

This, being a Folio edition, is a beautifully produced book and the occasional illustrations by John Vernon Lloyd are a nice addition to the text.

Heroes and Saints

This collection contains, in the Heroes section, The Story of Arthur from Geoffrey of Monmouth; Kevin Crossley-Holland's translation of Beowulf; the Deeds of Cuchulain based on Lady Augusta Gregory's version; The Four Branches of the Mabinogi translated by Lady Charlotte Guest and four Saints lives - Saint Cadog; Saint Joseph of Arimathea; Saint George and The Empress Helena.

It took me a few months to get through this book not because it was bad but because of my familiarity with some of the stories kept leading me to put it aside for other books. I really enjoyed the version of the Story of Arthur as it was a variant I hadn't read before. Being familiar with the rest of the stories makes it difficult to review them but as a whole collection I am pleased to have revisited them even though I was distracted by the new and different books on my shelves.

History and Romance

The third and final collection edited by Richard Barber. In this one we have a mix of real and fictional characters - King Harold; Hereward the Wake; Richard the Lionheart; King Horn; Havelock the Dane; Guy of Warwick; Bevis of Hampton; Sir Gawain; Robin Hood; Macbeth and Lady Godiva. As in all these collections some of the tales were familiar to me and others were not - or presented in an unfamiliar fashion.

I did enjoy reading these but I do think that they are for dipping in and out of not reading straight through. The Folio edition was a delight to read and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Myths and Legends of Britain. ( )

Starting with Procopius and the Romans, a re-telling in more or less modern English of well- and less-known episodes from British legendary history. Not a book to be read straight through, but for anyone who enjoyed Beowulf, Hereward the Wake and Malory, a pleasing bedside set. ( )

Mythology; Folio Society; British Folklore ( )