T. H. White published The Sword in the Stone, the first part of his Arthurian series, in 1938. The second book, The Witch in the Wood, was also published as a separate book, in 1939, as was the third book, The Ill-Made Knight, in 1940.

White finished a fourth book, The Candle in the Wind, as well as The Book of Merlyn, in 1941. He also revised the first three books, particularly altering The Witch in the Wood, which was renamed The Queen of Air and Darkness. White originally intended to publish all five books as The Once and Future King, but his publishers refused to publish the entire collection, citing a wartime paper shortage. This paper shortage was a genuine problem, but many critics think that the publishers did not want to publish The Book of Merlyn because it was too philosophical, too political, and too bitter over humankind's...