The Creators of Winnie the Pooh (Hardback)
A A Milne and E H Shephard
Imprint: White Owl
Pages: 184
Illustrations: 32 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781399064231
Published: 31st January 2025
(click here for international delivery rates)
Need a currency converter? Check XE.com for live rates
In 1962, children’s writer Roger Lancelyn Green coined the phrase ‘The Golden Age of Children’s Books’. A. A. Milne’s two Winnie-the-Pooh books, published in 1926 and 1928, which were so beautifully illustrated by artist and book illustrator E. H. Shepard, fall into this category.
Milne was clearly motivated to compose his Winnie-the-Pooh stories in order to entertain his young son. However, Christopher Robin came to resent the fact that his father had used his real first names as the names of Pooh’s owner in the books.
Was there a deeper reason why Milne created Winnie-the-Pooh? Possibly yes. The author had served as a soldier in the First World War, and by creating Pooh and his ‘Hundred Acre Wood’, he had created a world into which he could withdraw whenever he chose, and thereby mitigate the post-traumatic stress disorder which all military combatants suffer, to a greater or lesser degree. The same applied to Shepard, who also served in that conflict.
Having been given the Pooh books as a child, I re-read them as an adult and laughed just as uproariously as I had done all those years ago. Up until then, it had never occurred to me to enquire about their author A. A. Milne and about their illustrator E. H. Shepard. I now decided that it was time to put matters right!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer
I really enjoyed getting to learn about the creators of Winnie the Pooh, it really brought the time-period perfectly and thought it did a great job in bringing the people to life. Andrew Norman was able to weave a strong story and was glad everything had that research and writing style that I was looking for.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Kajsa Blom
The Creators of Winnie the Pooh is a richly detailed and emotionally resonant examination of the creative and familial forces behind a literary classic. Andrew Norman succeeds in offering readers a deeper appreciation for Milne and Shepard’s contributions to children’s literature while also presenting an unflinching look at the personal costs of fame. By contextualizing the creation of Winnie the Pooh within broader historical and personal narratives, the book invites readers to reflect on the often-overlooked humanity behind iconic works of art. For fans of the series and students of literary history alike, this is an essential read that enriches our understanding of a cultural treasure.
The facts are very entertaining and I learned a lot.
NetGalley, Marnie Compeggie
A fascinating and fun look at the writer and illustrator of the original Winnie the Pooh stories. Can be read by anyone at any age, and even if you've never read the original stories, you'll come away having learned many new things.
NetGalley, Spencer Wright
About Andrew Norman
Andrew Norman was born in Newbury, Berkshire, UK in 1943. He was educated in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Midsomer Norton Grammar School, Somerset, UK, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
Andrew worked as a general practitioner in Poole, Dorset, before a spinal injury cut short his medical career. He is now an established writer with biographies of Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Thomas Hardy, T. E. Lawrence, Adolf Hitler, Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Beatrix Potter, Marilyn Monroe, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to his name.
Pen and Sword Books
About Us | Contact Us | Delivery Information | Privacy Policy | Cookies | Affiliates | Terms and Conditions | Backlist | Mailing List | Reward Scheme | Review Request
© Pen and Sword Books Limited 2025. Registered in England No. 2527258.
Registered Office: 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S70 2AS.