T. H. White, The Once and Future King

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The Once and Future King

(1958) is an omnibus novel written by English author T.H. White (1906–1964). It is an Arthurian retelling made up of four, or sometimes five, books that cover King Arthur’s life from childhood to his final battle. It was first published as a tetralogy in 1958, although the constituent parts were written between 1937 and 1941, with sections revised in 1957.

Composition and Publication

Composition and Publication

The first book that forms The Once and Future King, The Sword in the Stone, was published in 1938. White describes this novel, and his inspiration to write it, in a letter to his friend L.J. Potts on January 14th of that year:

The first book that forms

The Once and Future King

,

The Sword in the Stone

, was published in 1938. White describes this novel, and…

3088 words

Citation: Schenk, Gabriel. "The Once and Future King". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 June 2020 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=22890, accessed 28 March 2024.]

22890 The Once and Future King 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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