The Once and Future King

By: T. H. White

Narrated by: Neville Jason

Length: 33 hrs

Publisher's summary

The complete "box set" of T. H. White's epic fantasy novel of the Arthurian legend. The novel is made up of five parts: "The Sword in the Stone", "The Witch in the Wood", "The Ill-Made Knight", "The Candle in the Wind", and "The Book of Merlyn".

Merlyn instructs the Wart (Arthur) and his brother, Sir Kay, in the ways of the world. One of them will need it: the king has died, leaving no heir, and a rightful one must be found by pulling a sword from an anvil resting on a stone. In the second and third parts of the novel, Arthur has become king and the kingdom is threatened from the north. In the final two books, the ageing king faces his greatest challenge, when his own son threatens to overthrow him. In "The Book of Merlyn", Arthur's tutor Merlyn reappears and teaches him that, even in the face of apparent ruin, there is hope.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©1939, 1940, 1958 T. H. White (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks

Critic reviews

AudioFile Earphones Award, 2009

"For those who have never read these five books, prepare to be surprised by their adultness, their laugh-out-loud humor and tongue-in-cheek commentary on modern life; for those who know them well, prepare to be delighted with Neville Jason's transcendent reading. The lovely timbre of his narrative voice, his rhythmic, easy pacing and host of individual characterizations transport listeners into White's weird and wonderful otherworld as quickly as Alice slipped through the looking glass. This long production is so entrancing that one wishes it would never end." (AudioFile)

My favorite book this year.

When I read reviewers write, “the best book I have ever read,” I thought yeah right! ‘must not have read many books. Well, I have read a fair bit myself and this is definitely one of the best written books I have ever read. I believe it is a book that one can read and reread and enjoy over and over and find something new in each reading of it. Not to be redundant, it is also one of the most fun and funniest I have ever read. It is a scholarly and even literary work, if you will. And yet, at the same time, the book is totally enchanting, witty and charming.

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table arose in the early Middle Ages, when England was just beginning to come under the influence of Christianity. When anyone retells the story, the author brings his own perspective to the tale of chivalry. Here T.H. White often appears to use the education of the young king Wart by Merlyn to educate the reader. While not in so many words, or maybe it is that: Merlin is a time-traveler. Not so much in the context of some science fiction novel but in his memory. Merlin is aware of past, present and the future. Certainly the author is aware of those times and uses those temporal events to tell his story. The book is in many ways a critique of mid-twentieth-century British culture. At first, things seem somewhat anachronistic but then we see that the narrator regularly references events and people in modern times to help tell his tale even more effectively.

Both T.H. White’s The Once and Future King and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings were written in the shadow of World War II, and both reflect that context to some extent:

“No. There is one fairly good reason for fighting - and that is, if the other man starts it. You see, wars are a wickedness, perhaps the greatest wickedness of a wicked species. They are so wicked that they must not be allowed. When you can be perfectly certain that the other man started them, then is the time when you might have a sort of duty to stop him.” (Merlyn)

Not only is T.H. White’s The Once and Future King full of anachronistic references to places and events of modern times, but it also plays fast and loose with time within the framework of the novel itself. Given the references to the death of Uther Pendragon in 1216 and the appearance of Thomas Malory at the end of the story, Arthur would have lived from 1201-1485. In effect, what White does is telescope almost three hundred years of English history and social development into the backdrop of a single narrative.

The book is long. But multiple versions of the story of King Arthur are considered within its covers so how short can it be? No, this is the best of several interpretations of the legend and it is not too long. While much of the book’s ending dwells on allegory, philosophy and social commentary, it is done with and eloquence and prose that is hard to compare with.

One of the young reviewers of this book that I found tried to figure out the audience for for whom the author intended and concluded there were many. I agree:

For children and young adults-
“I have been thinking ... about Might and Right. I don’t think things ought to be done because you are able to do them. I think they should be done because you ought to do them.” (Arthur). One of the central themes of the book is War: Right and Might.

On one level, both Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and T.H.
White’s The Once and Future King are children’s stories, yet both novels contain very
serious social commentary clearly intended for adults. Who could argue though that the social satire found in these novels detracts too much from the ability of children to enjoy them. Could a child appreciate all that is contained within TOaFK? Certainly not. However, there are many stories in this legend and many that target the child in all of us. One need not read this entire book though I am sure a lust will always remain to do so.

No reviewer could possibly do justice to this book. How about some more of the author’s own words:

On Wisdom-
“The best thing for being sad ... is to learn something. That is the only thing that never
fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then - to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.” (Merlyn)

This is a story about great compassion-
“If I were made a knight ..., I should insist on doing my vigil by myself, a Hob does with
his hawks, and I should pray to God to let me encounter all the evil in the world in my own person, so that if I conquered there would be none left, and, if I were defeated, I would be the one to suffer for it.” (Wart)

The author writes a great deal about the evolution of man-
“Here, all you embryos, come here with your beaks and whatnots to look upon Our first
Man. He is the only one who has guessed Our riddle, out of all of you, and We have great pleasure in conferring upon him the Order of Dominion over the Fowls of the Air, and the Beasts of the Earth, and the Fishes of the Sea. Now let the rest of you get along, and love and multiply, for it is time to knock off for the weekend. As for you, Man, you will be a naked tool all your life, though a user of tools. You will look like an embryo till they bury you, but all the others will be embryos before your might. Eternally undeveloped, you will always remain potential in Our image, able to see some of Our sorrows and to feel some of Our joys. We are partly sorry for you, Man, but partly hopeful.” (Badger)

Much is written about human morality-
“Morals ... are a form of insanity. Give me a moral man who insists on doing the right
things all the time, and I will show you a tangle which an angel couldn’t get out of.” (Lionel)

This title actually includes Books 1-5 of T.H. White’s magnum opus. It is not so much about world-building per se though there is enough of that. The book is more about us as humans and our nature... our intellectual, psychological, social and even political nature. The book is philosophical, satirical with even a little theology thrown in. Not too much; just the right amount. If it is action that ye seek, knockdown, drag out fighting, best look elsewhere. This is one more about relationships and different kinds of heroes.

This is brilliant storytelling brilliantly read and performed. The narration by Neville Jason is as good as it gets. I could not recommend a book more highly.

Fabulous reading, epic story and a new chapter!

I first read this book in 1963, and it was always a great favorite; the layers of Arthurian myth with White's dry wit and time-bending sensibilities as if Camelot were set in circa WWI Great Britain. This version is an admirable reading, Neville Jason provides finely-honed voices and the perfect slightly-ironic intonation that catches the tongue-in-cheek nature of this book. There is a chapter new to me, actually two. The "Mrs Mim" section was absolutely not in my edition, and features a wizard's duel between Mrs Mim and Merlyn. Reminds me of some other book about wizards I've read recently, can't think which one, though. And the Book of Merlyn is at the end, an addition to the version I read, advice to the king from his departing tutor. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this for the most enjoyable listening.

Classic knights in shining armor

What made the experience of listening to The Once and Future King the most enjoyable?

I commute 1.5 hours one-way three days a week with my toddler and we listened to this book together. I doubt very much that he got a lot of it, but when it came time to buy a Halloween costume he said he wanted to be a knight, so it must have rubbed off! The book made my drive so enjoyable that I actually looked forward to my commute!

What does Neville Jason bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Neville Jason is excellent! The voices for the various characters are well-done and the pace of the read is perfect. It was much more entertaining than what I might have heard in my head had I read it alone.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I forgot how witty this book is! Old King Pelennor always gives me a laugh.

Any additional comments?

You'll have to excuse the patriarchal slant of the book given the time it was written and the time in which it is set. Women were certainly not given equal consideration in either. However, the story does transport you to the medieval times and gives a good sense of life in that time and place. I loved it!

What a Delight

What did you love best about The Once and Future King?

Just because I didn't give this five stars doesn't mean it's not close to perfect. This is as close as it gets. A brilliant narrator makes this classic playful, funny, smart. This is an emotional and suspenseful romp through one of the most legendary times of history. When I read the book the first time, yea high to an ant, I loved it. The audiobook is icing on a pretty perfect cake. You'll rediscover whatever you loved in the book, if you've read it before. If you haven't read it? Be prepared for a delightful experience. It has extraordinary writing that can make you laugh, that can make your toes curl, that can make you shout out, "NO! Why, oh why are you choosing that?"
In short, your engagement with the literature is all but complete immersion.
I LOVE that in a book!

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of the characters are so well-fleshed out, it's a matter of choosing for yourself. Of course, Wart is the favorite. But then there's Merlin. Then there's...! And so and so! And I can't forget...! All wonderfully drawn.

What does Neville Jason bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I'll be listening to more by Neville Jason. Magnificent voice styling. He brings a real joy and artistry to his characters, and he does well with pacing the story, with developing suspense. A narrator can make or break an audiobook. Mr. Jason definitely makes this one of my all time favorites.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Well, heavens. The title already says it all, doesn't it? Why change a good thing?

Any additional comments?

I usually listen to audiobooks, well, all the time. But sometimes I like to set them to fall asleep to. No matter what the book is, even the sublime and passionate "Endurance," however, I wind up falling asleep. Which I love to do. With "The Once and Future King," though, I found myself wide-eyed, desperate to hear just a little bit more, and a little bit more. This was a pleasure of a book!
If you love audiobooks, treat yourself to this set.

Exceptional!!

The reader was the best I've ever heard. He got every character right with his expression and intonation.entertaining in so many ways!

A bit of history with some fantasy added

What made the experience of listening to The Once and Future King the most enjoyable?

Having seen several movies about King Arthur this gave a much richer background in regard to the relation between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot. It also gave a sort of mythical insight into Arthurs reasoning for doing things and also as to why he was such a revered king.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Once and Future King?

When the Wart pulls the sword from the anvil and stone and finds out that he is actually royalty and he is now ruler of England rather than an orphan of low birth.

Which character – as performed by Neville Jason – was your favorite?

I think that Merlin was my favorite character, he taught the king how to get along by having him experience the animal kingdom and showing him that war was usually not the best way to solve differences.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh at the end when Merlin took King Arthur to his home where he had a meeting with animals and he was shown by them that natural balance works so much better than warfare when it come to settling discord. He showed how each species fell under a certain type of government and why it worked for them and that the only form of government that would work best would be a union where all worked toward the same goals together.

Any additional comments?

I felt this book rather entertaining and easy to listen to, it gave some historical perspective to the reign of King Arthur but did it in a way that it wasn't just dry fact.

Not abridged or unabridged but re-abridged

At first I was hesitant to get this book because of reviews stating that chapter 13 of the sword in the stone was missing. Upon listening to the entire book it turns out that the chapter is in the fifth book, The book of Merlin. As far as I can tell it’s exactly the same as what’s in my hard copy.

Wonderful read, if lengthy

First off, this book IS unabridged. The parts with the ants and geese in "The Sword and the Stone" weren't cut, they were just moved (more on that later).

Anyway, in short, this is a wonderful telling of a classic tale. Even knowing what the outcome was, I greatly enjoyed it. Yes, each book does progressively get darker and more serious in tone, but T.H. White does a magnificent job of balancing everything out and not blundering the reader over the head with sadness. The characters, even the evil ones, are delightful to read about. Also, speaking as a nerd about medieval history, the parts talking about medieval life were very cool. That said, the book IS overly long and does drag at points. if you're easily turned off by lengthy descriptions or wondering prose, you may not enjoy it. The author often ends up rambling where he could easily get to the point without losing effectiveness. The weakest part of the book, in my opinion, was the final part (The Book Meryln). This part wasn't written until much later, and it shows. It feels awkwardly tacked-on and unnecessary. Merlyn's ramblings about communism and capitalism feel very out of place in a book that's supposed to be about a medieval legend. It feels as though the author just used it as an excuse to shoehorn in his political views. So yes, because of the length and the unnecessary politics, I had to dock it one star. It was nice, however, to get a true ending to the story instead of ending abruptly before Arthur's final battle.

Anyway, for those who might be confused about the "cut" parts in the beginning, I suggest reading the PDF for more info. It explains how those parts were actually not originally part of "The Sword in the Stone." They were actually part of "The Book of Merlyn", but were added when the various books were combined into the print version of "The Once and Future King." Don't forget that this book is really a combination of several books that were written at various points.

So there you have it. If you love fantasy and medieval legend, give it a try. Just be prepared for a lengthy read.

best book ever

This is one the greatest novels in the English language. There are passages that bring me to tears and shivers at the same time because they are so beautifully written. Merlin telling Wart that the best thing for him to do is to learn something (and then why) and the description of Gwenivere coming to grips with the nature of adult womanhood come to mind. You will find your own favorites. Just finished my second reading. The first was 40 years ago. It was even better the second time.

good overall story

i think it was a good saga overall i agree it was a book to long but for me ot was the first book i couldn't get into the sord in the stone i found all the kids voices gave me a headache but after thay was great and the last novel is kinda out there some of the stuff thay talk about makes it a must listen