Living Legends
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A captivating and deeply researched exploration of historical figures who transcended reality to become permanent fixtures of global folklore, Living Legends dissects how history transforms extraordinary mortals into timeless myths. Renowned historian Richard Barber investigates the thin, shifting boundary between factual biography and cultural legend, tracking how names like King Arthur, Robin Hood, and various folk heroes were reshaped by the collective imagination over centuries. Produced in tandem with the British Broadcasting Corporation, the text systematically peels back layers of medieval romance, propaganda, and oral tradition to expose the raw historical nuclei that generated these grand cultural archetypes. Barber’s elegant, accessible scholarship highlights the profound psychological need for heroism across different epochs, showing that legends say far more about the societies that tell them than the historical figures themselves. Written with his signature literary grace and keen analytical eye, the book moves effortlessly from archival analysis to the broader strokes of cultural anthropology. For enthusiasts of British history, medievalism, and evolutionary folklore, this beautifully preserved BBC companion piece offers an insightful, illuminating look at the architecture of human myth-making.
Author: Richard Barber
Format: Hardback
Genre: Biography
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A captivating and deeply researched exploration of historical figures who transcended reality to become permanent fixtures of global folklore, Living Legends dissects how history transforms extraordinary mortals into timeless myths. Renowned historian Richard Barber investigates the thin, shifting boundary between factual biography and cultural legend, tracking how names like King Arthur, Robin Hood, and various folk heroes were reshaped by the collective imagination over centuries. Produced in tandem with the British Broadcasting Corporation, the text systematically peels back layers of medieval romance, propaganda, and oral tradition to expose the raw historical nuclei that generated these grand cultural archetypes. Barber’s elegant, accessible scholarship highlights the profound psychological need for heroism across different epochs, showing that legends say far more about the societies that tell them than the historical figures themselves. Written with his signature literary grace and keen analytical eye, the book moves effortlessly from archival analysis to the broader strokes of cultural anthropology. For enthusiasts of British history, medievalism, and evolutionary folklore, this beautifully preserved BBC companion piece offers an insightful, illuminating look at the architecture of human myth-making.