The Once and Future King

A fantasy masterwork telling the legend of King Arthur in four parts.


The Once and Future King is the collective volume of works, loosley based on Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur (c.1469), which includes The Sword in the Stone, The Witch in the Wood, The Ill-Made Knight, and The Candle in the Wind. It is probably the most famous and popular of T. H. White's books.


T. H. White's The Once and Future King is one of the most complete and unique portrayals of the immortal legend of King Arthur. Though it has been in print for less than half a century, it has already been declared a classic by many, and is often referred to as the "bible" of Arthurian legend. White recreates the epic saga of King Arthur, from his childhood education and experiences until his very death, in a truly insightful and new way. 


This is not, however, the first complete novel of Arthur's life. In the fifteenth century, Sir Thomas Malory wrote Morte d'Arthur, the first complete tale of Arthur's life. Since then, a countless number of books have been written on the subject, yet none can compare to The Once and Future King. It has easily become the most popular of all the Arthurian novels as it is loved by both children and adults. 


Though similar in many ways to other works of the same subject, such as Malory's, White gives new details, meanings, and insightful modernization to the story, giving it an earthy quality which the reader can identify with. White's rendering of the Arthurian legend differs from the traditional versions in that he includes contemporary knowledge and concepts, adds new stories and characters to the legend, and provides new perspectives by probing deeper into the existing tales.


This eBook contains a fifth book, The Book of Merlyn. In this book, Arthur is revisited by Merlyn and the Badger, one of the animals that the Wart had met during his childhood, the geese, and other animals.