Geoffrey of Monmouth completed this book in 1136. It traces the story of the kings of Britain from Brutus – the great-grandson of Aeneas who escaped from Troy – to Cadwallader who died in 689AD. Along the way the reader encounters familar names such as King Lear, Cymbeline, Merlin, and especially King Arthur. Most of the kings probably didn’t exist, but with great skill Geoffrey makes them more believable by providing synchronisms of actual true events such as Julius Caesar invading Britain, King Solomon reigning in Judea, Hengist and Horsa coming to Britain etc.

This book has the most wonderful index of over 80 pages that is really needed if you’re getting confused between Assaracus the nobly-born Greek whose mother was a Trojan and Assaracus the nineteenth son of Ebraucus, King of Loegria.

This is a very entertaining read. The constant battles between various tribes do become rather repetitive after a few hundred years especially as most people die terrible, painful deaths that make them vomit their souls.