Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales - Softcover

Hans Christian Andersen was born in 1805 in Odense, Denmark, the son of a poor shoemaker and a washerwoman. He became well known in his home town as a reciter of drama, and as a singer, and at the age of fourteen set off for Copenhagen, determined to become a national success on the stage. He failed, so returned to school - which he hated. However, in 1829 his first book for adults was published and he went on to write many more original stories written solely for children. Hans Andersen's tales began to be translated into English as early as 1846. Since then, numerous editions and more recently films and cartoons, have helped to ensure the continuing popularity of his stories.