English Fairy Tales

It was illustrated by Arthur Rackham and entails a variety of fairy tales featuring mythical creatures, heroic figures, and moral lessons.

[9] Published in 1918, during the period of the First World War, it is possible that Steel intended the book to serve as a source of comfort and distraction for readers.

[12] This era lasted from 1890 to the onset of World War I and its emergence was fueled partly by the widespread popularity of illustrated books as Christmas gifts.

It follows the adventures of an English knight who embarks on a journey performing heroic deeds to save a princess from a dragon as one of the Six Champions of Christendom.

The Six Champions include knights from France, Spain, Italy, and Wales, representing some of the countries that joined forces as the Allies of World War 1 to fight against Germany.

[1] The following chapters feature commonly known tales that have been retold in various versions across a range of literary works, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood.

Throughout the book, the tales cover a wide range of themes and characters, including kings, queens, witches, talking animals, and magical objects.

[15] According to a review by The Bookman, "It would be difficult to find a more fascinating and artistically produced volume than the collection of English Fairy Tales retold by Mrs Flora Annie Steel [...].

[17][10] In a review by The New York Tribune, Willis Fletcher Johnson wrote, "never shall we hope to see more perfect pictures of scenes in childhood's histories than these of Mr.

[20] The aftermath of the war, later coupled with the Great Depression, further exacerbated the situation, causing a decline in demand for both fairy tales and books in general.

In 1937, Walt Disney, being aware of the public's desire for an escape from the turmoil of a war-torn and economically strained world, introduced an era of fairy tale movies.

Examples of these works include: A Tale of Indian Heroes (1923), The Law of the Threshold (1924), The Curse of Eve (1929), and The Garden of Fidelity: Being the Autobiography of Flora Annie Steel 1847-1929.