One of the world’s great writers of fiction, T.H. White, wrote four novels which were all published in a single volume in 1958. The collected works were entitled, The Once and Future King. The book is based on his four novels, The Sword in the Stone(1938), The Queen of Air and Darkness (1939), The Ill-Made Knight(1940), and The Candle in the Wind (1958). Based on legend and fact, T.H. White’s collection is based largely on Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. A conclusion to The Once and Future King was found in the author’s collection in 1977 and published as The Book of Merlin.
Review
Some of the most well developed characters I have ever encountered are found in this book. The subplots in each book make the characters more defined and intriguing. The Once and Future King takes us on a most enjoyable journey from King Arthur’s birth to his death. I particularly enjoyed the humorous Sword in the Stone segment where Merlin teaches Arthur by transforming him into different animals.