Leading authority Geoffrey Ashe establishes the real identity of Merlin--King Arthur's mighty wizard and famous figure of medieval British legend. Ashe investigates the long legacy Merlin has left in literature and shows that, of all the characters in the Arthurian world it is Merlin, the magician, who has the strongest claims to having actually existed. This new book by the leading Arthurian scholar of today presents the strongest case yet for Merlin the man.