The Story of the Glittering Plain

This beautiful volume makes one of history's most extraordinary achievements in book design and printing available in an inexpensive paperback edition.

The Story of the Glittering Plain, a richly evocative medieval tale of knightly adventure written by the Victorian poet and artist William Morris, was the first publication of Morris' newly founded Kelmscott Press; its second (1894) edition, reprinted here, was one of the most influential Kelmscott books.

About the Author

Polymath William Morris (1834–96) was a prolific writer of novels and essays as well as a translator of medieval texts. Although best known in his lifetime as a poet, Morris is chiefly remembered today for his designs, which he issued from his highly successful decorative arts firm. He also founded the Kelmscott Press, which he dedicated to the hand-printing of a select number of beautiful books.

The sumptuous look and feel of the book, its exemplary presswork and fine paper, and scrupulous attention to every detail combined to create a sensation among printers and collectors. The Story of the Glittering Plain was one of a small group of Morris' masterpieces that were to revolutionize the art of printing and transform it from a routine trade into high art.

In addition to the elegant typography, which Morris based on fonts by great fifteenth-century German printers, the book features rich ornaments and initials designed by Morris as well as 23 superb woodcuts by noted artist Walter Crane. The result is a chivalrous tale that is both an aesthetic and a heroic adventure.