King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table-Treasury of Illustrated Classics Storybook Collection Hardcover – Illustrated, February 9, 2009

ISBN 0-7666-3179-6 is a hardback, illustrated in black & white by Julia Lundman. I'd send it back, but it isn't worth the trouble. But basically you can't trust the Amazon descriptions and reviews to accurately describe the exact item you are looked at. Someone beside me please complain to them regularly. Please.I searched on Marcia Williams (who creates very colorfully illustrated books of classic works for children) and found this title. Clicked on hardback and purchased. Stupid me, I trusted the reviews and I trusted the hardback link was of the same item. I wanted a hardback copy of the edition illustrated by Marcia Williams. Reviews of the Marcia Williams illustrated version are attached to records of the volume illustrated by Julia Lundman. They are profoundly different.Beware of reviews, including the editorial reviews within the item description, when its possible that there are multiple versions on an item (think multiple translations, illustrators, sizes, qualities of binding, commentators and so on). You cannot trust the reviews. The reviews may be of an entirely different item with the same title. Please please please complaint to Amazon every time you find a bunch of reviews of a "different edition" attached to something you are thinking about buying.

good for reference for classes

This book is an excellent read for young readers. It is well bound, the print is bold and easy to see and read and the illustrations are appropriate.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is an adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Though this adaptation is written for children, adults will find this book to be a great introduction to the characters and stories of Arthurian legends. Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, Guinevere, and others are featured in this abridgement which is divided into three parts: The Making of a King, Brave Knights and Strange Adventures, and The Holy Grail. The book concludes with a brief biographical profile of Sir Thomas Malory who died in 1471. Despite its brevity, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table captures the spirit and themes of Arthurian literature.

Having had other books in the 'Early Readers' series (Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn), decided to try this as my son is interested in anything historical. I have never read the original, but I found this edition to be very condensed; indeed, the stories are basically just the facts plonked on top of each other, with not much else. Can't really say I recommend it, it seems to lack any charm that I would have expected the original version to have. Then again as mentioned I have never read the original Knights of the Round Table, so take my comments for what they are.