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Adam Ardrey
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Finding Arthur: The True Origins of the Once and Future King Paperback – October 29, 2014

by Adam Ardrey (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 143 ratings
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The legend of King Arthur has been told and retold for centuries. As the king who united a nation, his is the story of England itself. But what if Arthur wasn't English at all? As writer and Arthurian scholar Adam Ardrey discovered, the reason historians have had little success identifying the historical Arthur may be incredibly simple: He wasn't an Englishman. He was from Scotland.Finding Arthur chronicles Ardrey's unlikely quest to uncover the secret of Scotland's greatest king and conqueror, which has been hiding in plain sight for centuries. His research began as a simple exploration of a notable Scottish clan, but it quickly became clear that many of the familiar symbols of Arthurian legend―The Round Table, the Sword in the Stone, the Lady of the Lake―are based on very real and still accessible places in the Scottish Highlands.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Abrams Press
  4. Publication date
    October 29, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    5.4 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781468309416
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1468309416
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ardrey delivers a bombshell . . . fascinating stuff.”
- Los Angeles Times

“Well made arguments backed by archaeology, etymology, and geography . . . It will have readers rooting for a Scottish Arthur.”
- Kirkus

About the Author

Adarm Ardrey is the author of Finding Merlin: The Truth Behind the Legend of the Great Arthurian Mage, also available from Overlook. A writer and attorney, he lives in Scotland.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1468309412
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Abrams Press; 1st edition (October 29, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781468309416
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1468309416
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 143 ratings

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Adam Ardrey

Adam Ardrey

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
143 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Halo
5.0 out of 5 stars Who Needs Fantasy When Reality is so Much Better
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book could have been incredibly boring but it wasn't. It is written in a very engaging and accessible way, and I found that I didn't want to put it down and was sad when it was finished, always the sign of a good read. I'm not a student of the legend, just a general audience member of all of the modern Arthur and Camelot books and movies. I'm not able to enter into an esoteric discussion of the history or compare this to other academic works on this subject. I am someone who loves history and language and anthropology and a good mystery and this book has it all. I am also someone who identifies more with the Old Ways than the belief system that oppressed them and I enjoyed seeing such strong evidence presented to restore a stolen hero. The author builds to the proof brick by brick with fascinating intensity, using deductive reasoning to tie copious research together, until we're standing under a shelter we trust won't fall in - something built to last on the rubble of centuries of fantasy. Given the rampant marketing and distortion of truth we're all exposed to today, it isn't very hard to believe that the truth of events that occurred 1,500 years ago could have so easily been obscured and corrupted. I suspect the scenario proposed in this work is closer to the truth than anything else written about this subject and serves as amazing proof that some heroes and ideas can't be killed or stolen no matter how intense the effort. If you like any of the same things I've just mentioned then I think you should try this book.
9 people found this helpful
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KA Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Alternative News from the Dark Ages
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2017
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A must read for everyone raised on the fictional King Arthur. This book entwines two stories: The first is Arthur's story, and the second is the author's story. There is some inherent drama, but it won't rise to the level of the music and imagery of the arm raising the sword from the lake in the movie "Excalibur."

The underlying research was clearly a labor of love. The hypothesis presented in this book, in my view adequately supported by the author's investigations and applications of logic, is more plausible than the various versions of the Arthurian legends. The writing style is clear, but has a tendency toward redundancy at times. There are some maps and photographs provided, but additional photographs of some locations would have helped with context, and adding extracts of modern maps would have helped clarify locations.

Overall, I believe this is a positive contribution to historical research and exposition on a topic about which history has not been kind.
5 people found this helpful
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AndriaD
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
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I've never been able to turn away from anything Arthur-related, but I'm also a devout history AND language nerd, and this book satisfies on all fronts. Bravo! The gaelic words and spellings are really hard and slow-going for an English speaker, especially considering the two different gaelics referenced herein, but definitely worth the effort!
3 people found this helpful
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I. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Setting History Straight
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2013
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Everyone who has been exposed to the legends of King Arthur should read this book. Everyone who is interested in Scottish and/or English history should read this book. Everyone whose studies of their own genealogy have led them to the British Isles should read this book. I was astounded by the amount of research done and the presentation of the data and conclusions. Cold, hard facts are interspersed with humor, and there is just enough repetition to keep the interest of those who haven't studied early Scottish history before.
I recommend this book to all of my family and to many of my friends who would like an enjoyable read
6 people found this helpful
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Linda Yoder
4.0 out of 5 stars I loved it, but it's not for everyone
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful book, with a fair amount of humor. It is a deep dive into the "real" Arthur, while finding clues in the legends. Possibly because it is so painstaking in detail, with so many names that don't exactly roll off the tongue, the book isn't for everyone, but I found it splendid. I'm a fan. Highly recommended for the serious armchair scholar.
2 people found this helpful
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Mark A. Love
3.0 out of 5 stars Speculative but convincing argument for a Northern Arthur
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015
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Ardery's "Finding Arthur" is not particularly well edited, and amounts to circular and speculative reasoning with little in way of foundational evidence or cogent explanation. That said, I think his conclusions about the historical Arthur are likely accurate. I have read a number of books and articles on the subject of a historical Arthur, and this is the first in which the conclusions make sense to me. I had never given much credence to a Northern Arthur before reading this book, but after reading Ardery's work, I think the case for Arthur MacAeden makes sense. I would love to see historians dig deeper into the material raised in this book.
3 people found this helpful
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A.S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Yup - Arthur.
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2021
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When I had read Finding Merlin - I was willing to accept that the historical inspirations for the legend would be lacking in dramatic substance, but I was wrong. Finding Merlin established a historical figure of Lailoken that was fascinating; and Finding Arthur is a great followup to that work.

Finding Arthur continues Ardrey's discovery through language and critical historical work to arrive at Arthur Mac Aeden - our Historical Arthur. While not as dramatic, magical, or fantastic as the legends - Ardrey's work establishes a more grounded historical background - equally worthy of dramatic examination: The cultural (and literal) war between The Old Ways and Christendom.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Varga Tamás
5.0 out of 5 stars very interesting
Reviewed in Germany on November 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
Good research and creative ideas, and interesting theory lot to prove still, but I was convinced most of the findings in general. The narrative is not that elegant, lot of repetitions and placeholders.
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Ap Dái
5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Arthur In Scotland
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2013
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Those of you who read finding Merlin will be happy to know that this book has finally been published. If you are open to new ideas about Scottish history, places and people then this book will pose you lots of questions. If your looking for a totally Christian Arthur, pure truth and academic exactitude then this book could drive you crazy but that's not what its about. Like the previous book the author sets out his views in contrast to the traditional hegemony. Some of the conclusions are more convincing than others but all of the arguments act as a stimulus for debate. No one who has read his previous book should be surprised or upset that Adam Ardrey continues to locate his Arthur (Arthur Mac Aden) in Scotland, to connect Arthur to Argyle/Mannu and to argue that Arthur's time over laps with that of Merlin (Myrddin Lailokën). I read this book over two days. Having previously read many academic books about Scotland in this time period - I much preferred Adam Ardrey's irreverent and some times scathing approach to the topic. All history of this period is, partial, inexact and an interpretation. In this book its clear that Adam Ardrey's interpretation is related to his own personal history. This makes this book different to the majority of books on early Scottish history that hide their bias behind the cover of apparent academic/scientific neutrality.

The book makes you think and his previous book inspired me to take to the hills of Scotland. Its a starting point for dialogue, discussion and argument - don't moan if it doesn't confirm your views on the topic.
4 people found this helpful
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Tony G
4.0 out of 5 stars Challenges established views
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2014
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This book provides an excelently argued case for a Scottish Arthur, something that other historians have pointed to. I found Mr. Ardrey's overall argument very persuasive as he has identified a historical man with the right name, at the right time, a contemporary of the historical Merlin and a leader in battle, although not a King. My only minor complaints are that many of the arguments were repeated a little too often for my liking, although it must be said that proponents of a southern based Arthur probably need constant reminding. I also found some of the specific arguments for battle locations rather tenuous at best, although the author did convince me on most of them. He did tend to gloss over one or two aspects, but at least he has had the courage of his convictions and come up with a very plausible theory for a historic Arthur. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend anyone with an interest in Arthurian legend to read it. This theory is for others to argue against, not to dismiss simply because it doesn't fit with their preconceptions. Arthur has long been dismissed by many as a fictional character because there is no evidence for his life in Wales or southern England. Mr. Ardrey has identified a real character who is very probably the source of the legend and this theory should be taken seriously.
4 people found this helpful
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Anthony Foley
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
Well written. Holds ones interest. Just used it for my interest in Arthurian legend.
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Kristi
1.0 out of 5 stars Unbearable reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2015
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Over the years I have read many books on Arthuriana, many of which have been dry and pretty hard work to read but this one takes the biscuit. I'm fairly confident that somewhere in this book there are some interesting nuggets and revelations but it is simply unbearable to read. The writing style is antiquated and pompous, the historical logic occasionally verges on ludicrous, the repetition intolerable (god help you if you get to the discussion of the "high field"), the autobiographical material irrelevant, and the actual "meat" of the book is extremely thinly spread over pages and pages of drivel. I don't usually leave such bad reviews but this is one of the worst books I have ever read.
12 people found this helpful
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