"The Romance of King Arthur" by Thomas Malory and illustrated by Arthur Rackham Macmillan, london - 1917 first UK edition - 16 colored plates by Arthur Rackham - 20cmx15cm - condition: , original deep blue binding, rubbing to edges, paper remnants to cover, dampstaining to covers and page edges, page wrinkling, all plates present, name to ffep.. "The Romance of King Arthur (1917) was another wartime book, commissioned, like the Allies' Fairy Book, to reflect - and cash in upon - the nations' mood of patriotism,and martial endevour. In preparing for the commission, Rackham turned to his own copy of Beardsley's Morte D'Arthur and, following the pattern of the Beardsley version, drew square and rectangular chapter heardings to be set at irregular intervals up and down the page. As in Beardsley, these have a stark black and white appearance, though Rackham cannot resist the occasional wryly humorous touch such as a barking dog or a jester's head. The closest Rackham comes to Beardsley, however, is in his illustration of Sangreal, a flaming lidded chalice carried by an attenuated golden-haired white-robed maiden. This homage to Aubrey is based closely on Beardsley's own angel in The Achieving of the Sangreal