The Once and Future

King got me back into the delight of running up a hill listening to a great Classic Serial, and then digging out the book, which I remember being engrossed by at the age of perhaps nine.

Of course, anachronism is part of the charm, but the opening page has a reference to "The governess was always getting muddled with her astrolabe...", whereas any fule kno that Petrus Alphonsi's translation of Al-Khwarizmi's "Zij Al-Sindhind" into Latin did not happen until 1116; to be used, probably, by Prior Walcher of, yes, Great Malvern Priory. Walcher is said to be the first recorded user of an astrolabe in Britain. He imported Arabic ideas such as measuring angles in degrees, minutes and seconds.

But Merlin knew all that. He probably taught Al Kwarizmi all he knew.

I like the bit where he turns Wart into a fish.