The Once and Future King is yet another example of how, when a
crisis faces the world, the Arthur legend will resurface. White wrote OFK right before
WWII when an ominous cloud was shadowing Europe. He was attempting to offer hope in a world that seemed beyond its grasp. This hope was signified by "the
candle in the wind," something so
fragile it would only take a breeze to
extinquish it.
White understood that until mankind was willing to let go of arbitrary boundaries, there would never be peace. He felt that only through education did humankind ever have a chance at survival. The book is a parable of parables, told in such a way that it will touch even the most cynical.