The countryside of England and Wales in the Dark Ages forms an almost tangible background to this wonderfully and powerfully realised picture of an ancestral hero coming to manhood. "The Hollow Hills" is the brilliant portrayal of the young Arthur from his birth to accession to the throne of Britain. And behind and around him is the strong, yet vulnerable figure of Merlin who sees and knows so much but is powerless to prevent the strife and violence of his turbulent times. "The Hollow Hills" was first published in 1973 and tells the story of Merlin"s guardianship of Arthur. He leads Arthur to the sword that tests his claim to power and the crown.