I have a fairly extensive Glastonbury library, ie I have to buy just about every book about Glastonbury which is published, and I have managed to track down quite a few second hand ones as well! So I am going to list them here, with publisher and publication date. As many of them are now out of print, I won't include the ISBN. Those in print should be fairly easy to track down and order from somewhere online. But of course the very best place to buy books about Glastonbury is... Glastonbury!
I will divide this into non fiction/history, fiction, and other publications.
Books which deal with the history and mythology of Glastonbury, factual and esoteric.
ASHE, Geoffrey. "Avalonian Quest". Fontana paperback, 1984.
ASHE, Geoffrey. "King Arthur's Avalon" Fontana paperback 1973.
Both of these are examinations of the Arthurian legends and Glastonbury, and also Glastonbury's eminence as a religious centre, both in the past and up to the time the books were written. I believe both may still be in print, or may have been until recently.
BENHAM, Patrick. "The Avalonians". Gothic Image, 1993.
An account of the lives of some of the most prominent Avalonians including Dion Fortune, Wellesley Tudor Pole, and Frederick Bligh Bond.
CARLEY, James P. "Glastonbury Abbey". Guild Publishing, 1988.
History of Glastonbury Abbey
The Chalice Well, Glastonbury.
Guide to the Chalice Well, this one published in the early noughties?
COON, Robert "Voyage to Avalon". Griffin Gold, 1986.
Esoteric writing.
DUNNING, Robert "Glastonbury, history and guide". Alan Sutton Publishing 1994.
History of Glastonbury Town
FORTUNE, Dion, "Glastonbury, Avalon of the Heart". Aquarian, 1989.
A collection of esoteric essays first published in 1934
GALE, Jack. "The Circle and the Square". Capall Bann, 1997.
Story of an esoteric quest which centres around Glastonbury, especially the abbey
GENNARO, Gino. "The Phenomena of Avalon". Cronos, 1979
Another esoteric quest to the land of faery, starting on the Tor.
GIBBS, Ray. The Legendary XII Hides of Glastonbury". LLanerch, 1988.
The legend of Joseph of Aramathea's visit to Glastonbury and the legendary 12 hides of land granted to him.
"Glastonbury Official Guide". No date but probably mid 1980's
Fascinating for the adverts for the shops and services around when it was published.
"The Glastonbury Guide".
Another guide from c. 1988? It cost 60p
"Glastonbury, A Pilgrim's Perspective".
Little guide published in the early noughties
"Glastonbury Abbey" official guide, this one dated 1990.
"Glastonbury Abbey, The Isle of Avalon". A Pitkin guide 1999.
GREED, John A. "Glastonbury Tales". St. Trillo, 1975
Investigation of some of the Glastonbury legends including one I had never heard, that the Virgin Mary visited Glastonbury. Interesting to read about the alternative community was it was in 1975 too.
HOWARD-GORDON, Frances. "Glastonbury, Maker of Myths". Gothic Image, revised edition 1997.
This is in my opinion the best basic guide, it covers all aspects of Glastonbury, historic and esoteric.
IVAKHIV, Adrian J. "Claiming Sacred Ground: Pilgrims and politics at Glastonbury and Sedona". Indiana University Press, 2001
. A fascinating thesis about thr parallels between Glastonbury and the scared area of Sedona in the USA.
JENKINS, Palden. "Map of the ancient landscapes around Glastonbury". Gothic Image can't find date
Not a book, but a map!
JONES, Kathy. "In the Nature of Avalon". Ariadne, 2000.
Goddess inspired walks in the landscape of Avalon.
JONES, Kathy. "The Goddess in Glastonbury". Ariadne 1990.
Kathy's first book about Glastonbury and the Goddess. Out of print but available to download from her website.
LEITCH, Yuri. "Gwynn". The Temple Publications, 2007.
Investigation into the legends of Gwynn Ap Nudd.
MINNIT, Stephen and COLES, John. "The Lake Villages of Somerset"> Glastonbury Antiquarian Society, 1996
Archeaology and history of the lake villages of Somerset, several of which were near Glastonbury.
LLOYD, Polly. "About Glastonbury". Bossiney Books, 1992.
A lovely little guide to Glastonbury which I think it still in print, ideal as an introduction to the myths, legends, and history.
Page created 14th Oct 2008.
Last update 16th Oct 2008