Book excerpt: "This ambitious book manages to cover the entire Arthurian tradition in art from the twelfth century through the twentieth, in media ranging from saltcellars to stained glass. Whitaker achieves this remarkable feat by remaining sensitive to the different uses that various localities and periods made of the Arthurian motif - So learned - and so fascinating." SPECULUM This is a study of works of art inspired by legends of King Arthur and his knights and produced over a period of nine centuries in western Europe, and latterly the United States and Canada. It covers illuminated manuscripts, printed books, sculpture, pavements, paintings, drawings, embroideries, tapestries, stained glass, objéts d'art, furniture, clothing, et al.. Muriel Whitaker's specialised knowledge of Arthurian texts from the middle ages to the present offers a rewarding perspective, explaining the social, political, religious and aesthetic conditions which influenced the artistic representations of the Arthurian legends in various historical periods, notably the Gothic middle ages, the Renaissance, the nineteenth century, and the present day. The late MURIEL WHITAKER was former Professor of English at the University of Alberta, Canada.