The Secret Glory

Arthur Machen is considered a master of Victorian supernatural horror, penning such classics as The Great God Pan and The Hill of Dreams. As a journalist he was also responsible, (albeit unknowingly), for creating the still-popular legend of The Angel of Mons. Machen was born at Caerleon in Wales, and in later life turned his attention to Celtic legend and its ability to transform and inspire our dull reality. The Secret Glory is a semi-autobiographical tale of Ambrose Meyrick, whose mundane existence as a reluctant pupil in an English upper-class 'public school' is transfigured by his search for the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend. But every revelation comes at a price - and Meyrick's triumph in eventually finding the Grail leads him unwittingly to a macabre and grisly fate.

Arthur Machen (1863 - 1947) was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy and horror fiction. His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror. Stephen King has called it "Maybe the best [horror story] in the English language". He is also well known for his leading role in creating the legend of the Angels of Mons.