Le Morte d'Arthur is a compilation in two volumes by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. This book is Volume I. The book interprets existing French and English stories about these figures, with some of Malory's own original material (the Gareth story). First published in 1485 by William Caxton, Le Morte d'Arthur is perhaps the best-known work of English-language Arthurian literature today. Sir Thomas Malory (circa 1405 ? 14 March 1471) was an English writer, the compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur, as well as a knight, land-owner and Member of Parliament.