Wace's "Brut" is an 1155 French verse rendering of Geoffrey of Monmouth's earlier Latin "history" of Britain, from the time of Brutus, the eponymous founder, to the 7th century. Wace uses Geoffrey's stories, such as those of King Lear and King Arthur, with a lively inventiveness and originality, drawing on oral sources and his own knowledge of parts of Britain, imaginatively re-interpreting the material. This is the first complete English translation and is presented in parallel with the French text, enabling those who wish to have access to the original to do so easily. This new reprint has been revised by Judith Weiss, taking account of comments in reviews, and includes a full introduction, footnotes and bibliography.
