Kevin Crossley-Holland Livres

Arthur, naguère "à la croisée des chemins", est aujourd'hui prêt à s'engager dans le périple qui va mener les croisés à Jérusalem, pour conquérir la Ville sainte. A leur départ de France, ils doivent se rendre à Venise, où le Doge a accepté, moyennant finances, de faire construire suffisamment d'embarcations pour transporter hommes, chevaux, vivres et engins de siège. Arrivé à Venise, le jeune chevalier découvre que le Doge veut entraîner l'armée des croisés à Zara, sur la côte dalmate, afin de la reconquérir. Arthur apprend alors que les intérêts personnels priment parfois sur les idéaux proclamés haut et fort par "l'armée de Dieu". Et si sa foi reste vive, il commence à perdre ses illusions...

Le rêve d'Arthur se réalise enfin ! En cette année 1200, le voici nommé écuyer de Lord Stephen de Holt, son oncle. Ce n'est pourtant pas encore pour lui le moment de partir en croisades... Il lui faut d'abord se trouver un cheval de guerre, s'habituer au port de l'armure et surtout, pratiquer les sports de combat. Alors qu'il continue à interroger sa pierre prophétique, il constate que les images qu'il reçoit reflètent de plus en plus précisément sa vie ! Mais soudain, une rencontre inattendue vient bouleverser son existence... Best-seller traduit en plus de dix-huit langues et couronné d'un immense succès dès sa parution en Angleterre, la trilogie d'Arthur est tout à la fois un formidable roman d'aventures dans l'Europe du Moyen Age et une étonnante redécouverte de la légende du roi Arthur. A la croisée des chemins est le second volet de la trilogie d'Arthur, après La pierre prophétique.

Quel est donc le pouvoir de cette pierre prophétique donnée en grand secret au jeune Arthur de Caldicot en cette année 1199 ? Noire et lisse comme un lac, la pierre lui dévoile un univers parallèle où évolue un autre Arthur, celui d'une légende dont il ignore tout. Impatient d'accomplir sa propre destinée de chevalier, Arthur se jette dans l'aventure au cœur d'un Moyen Age fait de rudesse, de bravoure, d'humanité et de merveilleux. Réservation

In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, twelve-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined -- and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.

Annie lives with her elderly parents in a remote cottage. She is used to being alone. Every day she walks by the lonely marsh to school. Only in winter, when the wind howls in the trees, is Annie ever afraid. Her sister Willa is pregnant and Annie is overjoyed when she comes home to have her baby. Annie tells Willa the names of local plants and Willa tells Annie about the ghost, murdered by highwaymen, who is said to haunt the old forge nearby. Then, on a terrible night, with the phone lines down, Willa goes into labor. Annie is terrified of the ghost, but knows she must brave the storm to fetch help. As she ventures into the night, a horseman swings into view. He offers to take Annie to town. Before she can protest, Annie finds herself lifted on to his saddle and off they set on an intense, dream-like journey. Only once he has deposited her safely on the doctor's doorstep, does the horseman reveal that he is the ghost she fears.

A celebration in words and pictures of the world of King Arthur. All the romance of Camelot in this glorious book, where legend, fact and conjecture blend together in a text that sparkles with colour and wit. It's theme is how the Arthurian legend fascinated and inspired all Europe in the middle Ages. Kevin Crossley Holland writes of Knights and ladies, tournaments and troubadours, castles and quests and the rituals of courtly love. He is entertainingly informative about small boys training to be knights, how difficult it was to put armour on, how you ate and dressed and chose gifts for your lady. And he introduces us to the great characters of the Arthurian world, such as Lancelot and Guinevere, Merlin, Morgan le Fay and of course, the mysterious King Arthur himself.

Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon, The Dream of the Rood, The Wanderer, and The Seafarer are among the finest surviving Anglo-Saxon poems, alongside various historical documents, laws, letters, charters, and charms. This collection offers a vivid portrayal of a people who transitioned from paganism to Christianity within two centuries, establishing England as a center of missionary activity and a focal point of European civilization. Included are significant works such as Deor, the Finnesburh fragment, and the Battle of Brunanburh, alongside the laws of Wihtred and Canute's letter to the English people. The narrative spans key historical events, from Vortigern's invitation in 449 to the battles of Ashdown and Hastings in 1066. It features poignant poems like The Wanderer, The Seafarer, and The Wife's Lament, as well as notable accounts of figures like King Alfred and Cuthbert. Additional texts include Caedmon's vision, Bede's reflections, and various legal documents, agreements, and riddles, providing insight into the culture, beliefs, and daily life of the Anglo-Saxon era. This anthology encapsulates a rich literary and historical heritage that shaped early medieval England.

It is 1199 and young Arthur de Caldicot is waiting impatiently to grow up and become a knight. One day his father's friend Merlin gives him a shining piece of obsidian and his life becomes entwined with that of his namesake, the Arthur whose story he sees unfold in the stone. In this many-layered novel, King Arthur is seen as a mysterious presence influencing not just one time and place but many. The 100 short chapters are almost like snapshots not only of the mythic tales of King Arthur, but the earthy, uncomfortable reality of the Middle Ages.

Set in the ninth century, the story revolves around Wulfstan, a sailor who captivates King Alfred with his adventurous tales of storms, races, and a frozen ruler. The narrative highlights Alfred's dedication to storytelling and education, as he strives to make literature accessible to his people by translating works into English. This beautifully illustrated collaboration between Kevin Crossley-Holland and Chris Riddell combines lyrical prose with historical context, celebrating the legacy of a West Saxon king who defended his realm against Viking invaders.