According to William Claxton, Sir Thomas Malory's book Le Morte D'Arthur original workwas finished in the ninth year of Edward IV. It is considered to be the last important English book written before the introduction of printing into England. Claxton's own story of how the book was brought to him and why he printed it may be read in his own preface. From this we learn also that he was not only the printer of the book, but to some extent its editor also, dividing Malory's work into twenty-one books, splitting up the books into chapters. This edition retains the chapters of Vol. I, Book One and an attempt has been made to retain his work while making it easier for the reader to follow the story using modern English and updated spelling.