Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

conversion of public domain text
Review for Public Domain Books edition of Kim: B002RKRVY4:

No italics. Straight quotes. Dashes are Dashes. Paragraphs wrapped OK, with good indenting, and no space between.
Usual typos, e.g. Busts for buts. Pincers for pencase.

There are better editions available. If you're looking for a Kindle edition of Kim, don't just search for "Kim". That only finds a few of the many editions. Search for "Kim Kipling" (without the quotes) to find the 30 or so editions available. And also look for my review "Kindle Edition Choice is critical" for a review of all the available editions as of May 2010. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Can't beat the price or the story...
I love a great story and this is one of my favorites.It conveys the circumstances of an underappreciated newspaper man in the British Colonial era at a minor outpost in what is probably a reasonably accurate way (politically correct by current standards or not).

The characters the writer encounters were likely somewhat common after finishing military duty in a far-off land and being at somewhat loose ends once mustered out.Going a bit "native" was probably not uncommon for those stationed throughout the reaches of the British Empire at its height (and decline).Ideas by those staying behind which appear hare-brained were possibly fairly familiar given the tenuous situation some of the ex-pats may have found themselves in.Heck, it might have even worked if they'd stuck to the original plan!It gives you a lot to think about as far as power vs. ego is concerned.

Read the story first if you haven't already seen the movie.You'll appreciate the writing's compactness and choice of style and flow that way.However, my feeling is that although this is an excellent read and definitely a classic, many readers may find watching the movie (which is absolutely in my top ten favorites of all time) helpful in understanding some of the more subtle aspects of the story.For example, the fairly obscure references to the Masons' rituals (perhaps by necessity at the time of writing) - which are in effect the central underlying theme in regard to the various characters' undertakings - are made much clearer in the film.

Enjoy!

The Short Story that would be better left unread...
Classic short story with a politics/greed/imperialism theme. I just read it based on another review that said to read it if you had seen the movie. I happen to like light, entertaining reads and thoroughly dislike politics. So this short story of two greedy, stupid Englishmen who think that they can just show up somewhere with some guns and become their own self-proclaimed kings was a frustrating waste of time for me. And remembering the ending ahead of time didn't help. (Don't give up on Kipling based on this book - I just LOVE his Captains Courageous, an upbuilding coming-of-age story about a rich kid who was washed overboard and picked up by a fishing schooner and made to work.) This free Kindle edition (check to make sure the "bought here at Amazon" button is lit) was very readable, no glaring editing errors and only the usual margin issues.

A Kipling Surprise
This was my first prose by Kipling, and it was a pleasant surprise.His descriptions of the people and the country were excellent.The developing story and surprising conclusion made for a page turner.The Kindle version is satisfactory.

Recommended
A bit tough going for few couple of pages.Then I realized this is meant to be read in a "flowing" manner.I was amazed and how much was "packed" into a short story contaning human desires and how they often get the best of us when we give way to our egos.This is shown on a much smaller scale in small villages, but could easily be related to existing governments and their leaders and how and why they got there - and perhaps maybe they fail?All this, but still kept very intimate and personal to the characters in a humerous and entertaining way.And, hey, IT'S FREE!!!

One of Kipling's better short stories
This is a story about two con men in British Imperial India who cook up a scheme to make themselves kings in Afghanistan.One of Kipling's better short stories, it was admired by writers as disparate as J.M. Barrie and H.G. Wells. It suffers a little from having had a zillion imitators in the intervening century or so, and like a lot of Kipling's works, there's an undertone of paternalistic imperialism that modern readers may find grating, but it isn't like he's showing the British in a positive light either -- this is Kipling at his best, and at his best he was too good a writer to let anyone, including the British, off the hook.

Read this if you're trying to figure out whether or not you like Kipling's works that are aimed for adults -- it's very different in tone from, say, The Jungle Book or _Just So Stories_, which were written for children. If you like this, I recommend you grab Plain Tales from the Hills, his first collection of stories set in British India; it should also be available online for free.

If you're interested in the historical background for this story, it was at least partially inspired by a real individual, an American named Josiah Harlan. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1919Original Publisher: Doubleday, Page ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beware
This book hasextraordinary problems with formatting, rendering it worthless on my Kindle. Don't know what happened to it, or why it is still listed as a viable product, because it isn't.Which is a pity, because the poetry is superb. ... Read more

Product Description
Arranged in the order of their original publication and written during Kipling's time as a journalist in India, these seventeen short stories explore the themes of isolation and abandonment and the effects of the Indian caste system on society.Along with the title piece, the volume includes "Gemini," "A Wayside Comedy," "The Hill of Illusion," "Only a Subaltern," "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "Black Jack," and others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Classic Kipling for a small package
This is some of the best of Kipling's short stories with, of course, the title story of "The Man Who Would Be King" as its headliner.If you want a quality reading volume in a small, neat size, but complete with gilt edges and a permanant ribbon marker, this is the volume for you.It is small enought to fit in a pocket, but hardbound so it can take getting tossed into your airline carry-on without worry.

The changes and chances in colonial life
This anthology of short stories gives an excellent picture of the works of a Member of the British Empire. Rudyard Kipling had a partisan view on the British colonial enterprise which was based on a well-organized army machine. But, as George Orwell said: he didn't understand that `an empire is primarily a money-making concern'.

Army and war
Those who fight under the British flag are mightily admired and incensed for their courage and self-sacrifice, but woe for those who seek their own kingdom.
In `The Drums of Fore and Aft' two orphans of fourteen years of age (!), who serve as Regiment drummers, are highly praised for offering their lives in a skirmish with Afghan rebels.
In `Only a Subaltern', a new recruit is himself attacked by fever after having physically and morally supported a soldier friend.
But, in `The Man Who Would be King', two solitary fortune seekers fall shamelessly from their throne.

Religion
In the heartrending masterpiece of this collection, `Baa Baa Black Sheep', R. Kipling lambastes the ravages of religion: `the Fear of the Lord was so often the beginning of falsehood ... for when young lips have drunk deep of the bitter waters of Hate, Suspicion and Despair, all the Love in the world will not wholly take away that knowledge.'

Colonial life
In `The Education of Otis Yeere', two would-be prick teasers warm the heart of a bachelor, only to be mightily offended when he tries to give one of them a kiss.
`At the Pit's Month' and `A Wayward Comedy' are variations on the theme of `a Man and his Wife and a Tertium Quid'. Only, the friendship among men stays above the shame of cuckolding.
`Wee Willie Winkie' praises the courage of a young boy.
`A Second Rate Woman' attacks people's prejudice. An allegedly `tainted' lady saves the day when the foul speakers `collapse in an hour of need'.
In `His Majesty the King', a child King is too young to moralize on the deceitfulness of this world and the uncertainty of human things.

Ghost stories
The nightmarish `The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes' and `The Phantom `Rickshaw' are two excellent ghost stories.

A very worth-while read.

Insightfull
One must concentrate when reading this book due to the time period in which it was written.That being said it is a wonderfull story well worth your time.

The Man Who Would Be King
"Brother to a Prince and fellow to a beggar if he be found worthy."

So begins Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, with an echo of the last verse of the Masonic verse "Banquet Night," and there are a lot of references to Freemasonry in this tale, which is considered by many to be Kipling's finest short story. The story was first published in 1888, and this volume includes five of the author's best early stories: "The Phantom Rickshaw," "The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes," "Wee Willie Winkie," "Without Benefit of Clergy," and the aforementioned title selection.

The author was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), in what was then British India, and he drew upon his experiences in Anglo-Indian society for much of his fiction. The winner of the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature, he was the first English language writer to receive the coveted prize, and to date he remains its youngest recipient. He is regarded as a master of the short story, and his books for children are considered as enduring classics of children's literature.

"The Man Who Would be King" is a unforgettable tale of adventure, and is told by a first-person narrator, a newspaperman in India who one can assume is Rudyard Kipling. While on a train, he meets a fascinating opportunist: "He was a wanderer and a vagabond like myself, but with an educated taste for whiskey. He told tales of things he had seen and done, of out-of-the-way corners of the Empire into which he had penetrated, and of adventures in which he risked his life for a few days' food."

The narrator soon learns that Daniel Dravot and his fellow vagabond, Peachey Carnehan, are both passing themselves off as journalists for the newspaper for which the narrator is a real correspondent. He is fascinated by them, but does stop them from blackmailing a minor Indian rajah.

Some months later, they appear at his office in Lahore, and tell him their plan. In the words of Daniel Dravot, they have been "Soldier, sailor, compositor, photographer, proof-reader, street-preacher, and correspondents of the 'Backwoodsman' when we thought the paper wanted one. Carnehan is sober, and so am I. Look at us first and see that's sure. It will save you cutting into my talk. We'll take one of your cigars apiece, and you shall see us light."

The paid have have decided India isn't enough for them, and the next day they will go off to Kafiristan, to set themselves up as kings. They were going through the Khaiber with a regular caravan and with Dravot disguised as a native priest, stating, "Who'd touch a poor mad priest?" They have twenty Martini rifles, and with their camels, they plan to find a tribal leader, help him defeat his enemies, then take over for themselves.

The pair sign a "Contrack" (contract) as "Gentlemen at Large," with the narrator as witness, in which they will together "be Kings of Kafiristan," not "look at any Liquor, nor any Woman," and that if one gets into trouble "the other will stay by him." They ask the narrator for the use of maps and books of the area, as a favor because they are fellow Freemasons, and because he spoiled their earlier blackmail scheme.

Two years pass, and on a hot summer night, an almost unrecognizable Peachey Carnehan creeps into the narrator's office, a broken man, a crippled beggar clad in rags. He tells an astonishing tale of how Daniel Dravot and he had succeeded in becoming Kafiri kings, taking over villages, and building a unified nation in Kafiristan (in modern-day Afghanistan). Carnehan explains how the Kafiris (who were pagans, not Moslems) came to regard Dravot as a god, and the immortal son of Alexander the Great. The Kafiris practiced a form of Masonic ritual, and the pair secrets of Freemasons that only the oldest priest remembered.

But Carnehan explains that their grand schemes were shattered when Dravot made a decision that brought their kingdom down around them. And to explain any further would spoil the final outcome of this amazing tale.

This complete story takes all of thirty pages, all in the center of this book, and many of the scholarly papers about it over the years are larger. The Masonic connections to the growth and demise of the British Empire have been covered by many. It's a true literary masterpiece, and it's quite apparent that Kipling was quite conscious of the fact that the British Empire of that time was not eternal.

It's no wonder that the late John Huston chose Kipling's tale to create his epic 1975 film The Man Who Would Be King, which starred Sean Connery (Daniel Dravot), Michael Caine (Peachey Carnehan) and Christopher Plummer (Rudyard Kipling). It had a great supporting performance from Saeed Jaffrey and a rare but pivotal appearance by Michael Caine's wife, Shakira. It's a film that director John Huston had planned for years, and was nominated for four Academy Awards. The film is very true to Kipling's story, but goes into less Masonic detail.

One of the more interesting aspects of this tale is that it was loosely based on historical fact, of which Kipling was aware. Josiah Harlan, a Pennsylvania Quaker, journeyed to Afghanistan in the 1820s, and through a series of wheeling and dealing, was crowned the Prince of Ghor (a province in central Afghanistan). Ben Macintyre's book The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan details his story, including Freemason Harlan trading secrets with an old Rosicrucian sorcerer in an Afghan cave, and how the the British overthrow of the sitting Afghan ruler soon forced his departure.

But going back to Kipling's tale, the inevitable question arises: which is better, the book or the movie? That would be a difficult answer for this reviewer, as both have been real favorites for many years, and John Huston had gone out of his way to keep his film as true to Kipling's story as possible. Would have to say that I rate them equally, and can easily recommend them as 5-star choices.

the man who would be dead
"The man who would be king" is Kipling's great story of two British ex-soldiers who concoct a nutty scheme to personally conquer an obscure Asiatic province, set themselves up as kings and rob the place blind.They decide to target tribal areas somewhere in Afghanistan...and we know what that means...Gardens of War.

Our boys make it, and impressing the gullible and superstitious natives with their rifles and military knowhow, they manage to subjugate several tribal areas and consolidate them into one kingdom.Unfortunately, they didn't factor in religion and women.Well they did, in part.They had made an initial bargain...no women, not until they get back.Well, one of our boys gets a little too full of himself and thinks he can indulge himself with a woman.It is a terrible mistake.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico ... Read more

Product Description
This file includes: Actions and Reactions, American Notes, Barrack Room Ballads and Departmental Ditties, Captains Courageous, The Day's Work, A Diveristy of Creatures, France at War, Indian Tales, The Jungle Book, Just So Stories, Kim, The Kipling Reader, Letters of Travel, Life's Handicap, The Light that Failed, The Man Who Would Be King, Plain Tales from the Hills, Puck of Pook's Hill, Rewards and Fairies, Sea Warfare, The Second Jungle Book, Soldiers Three, Songs from Books, STalky and Company, The Story of the Gadsby, Taffics and Discoveries, Under the Deodars, Verses, The Years Between, and Rudyard Kipling by John Palmer.According to Wikipedia: "Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936) was a British author and poet. Born in Bombay, British India, he is best known for his works of fiction The Jungle Book (1894) (a collection of stories which includes Rikki-Tikki-Tavi), Kim (1901) (a tale of adventure), many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888); and his poems, including Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major "innovator in the art of the short story";[3] his children's books are enduring classics of children's literature; and his best works speak to a versatile and luminous narrative gift. Kipling was one of the most popular writers in English, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author Henry James said of him: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English language writer to receive the prize, and to date he remains its youngest recipient.Among other honours, he was sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, all of which he declined. Later in life Kipling came to be recognized (by George Orwell, at least) as a "prophet of British imperialism." Many saw prejudice and militarism in his works, and the resulting controversy about him continued for much of the 20th century. According to critic Douglas Kerr: "He is still an author who can inspire passionate disagreement and his place in literary and cultural history is far from settled. But as the age of the European empires recedes, he is recognized as an incomparable, if controversial, interpreter of how empire was experienced. That, and an increasing recognition of his extraordinary narrative gifts, make him a force to be reckoned with." ... Read more

Product Description
This absorbing, widely praised biography brings a fresh and sympathetic eye to the career of the prolific writer whose popular Jungle Books and collections of poems like Barracks Room Ballads as well as the masterly novel Kim propelled him to the pinnacle of literary success before he was forty. With illuminative reinterpretations of his work, it also follows Kipling through the next three decades that took this complex, troubled, and brilliant man to tragic personal disappointments and galling disrepute among the lions of literary fashion. In all, biographer Ricketts brings vibrantly to life the diverse worlds of imperialist India and Victorian London that both inspired and betrayed Kipling's genius.Amazon.com Review
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was not yet 25 when he burst onto the literary scene in London, where his stories of Anglo-Indian life made him an instant celebrity. He won the Nobel Prize in 1907, but by then his critical standing was already in decline, marred in part by popular poems like "The White Man's Burden," which stereotyped him as a tub-thumping jingoist, a reputation he cemented with the distasteful racism of his patriotic appeals during World War I. Poet Harry Ricketts rescues Kipling from cliché in perceptive critical exegeses that remind the reader just how fine a fiction writer he was, pointing out the nuanced appreciation of racial and cultural boundary crossing that informed such masterpieces as Kim. In this brisk narrative, Kipling emerges as a charming, genuinely warm man and a devoted, delightful father; it's no surprise that the children's books Just So Stories and The Jungle Book remain his most beloved works. Without scanting the nastiness of Kipling's reactionary politics, Ricketts suggests their source in personal sorrows that included his 18-year-old son's battlefield death in 1915 and the agonizing demise of his 6-year-old daughter, after which, said Kipling's sister, "he was a sadder and a harder man." --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Man Who Would Be Kipling
This is the only biography of Kipling I've read so I can't compare it to others. The author has laid out the facts of his life in detail. He comments with insight and sympathy on Kipling's work but strangely doesn't mention one of his most famous lines,"East is east and west is west, never the twain shall meet." Maybe he thought it was overanalyzed. The most interesting aspects for me were Kipling's influences and those he influenced and corresponded with and the impact of India and it's myriad cultures on his life and work. Mark Twain, H. Rider Haggard, Henry James, and many other great British and American writers are quoted. I would have liked a little more on the Kim and the Jungle Book and more about his views of Islamic culture and Afghanistan. Also would have liked to know about his Masonic membership and it's influence on the Man Who Would Be King. But maybe the author felt that would be too much minutia to include in what is not an exhaustive or long study of Kipling.

Difficult read
This was difficult to read because the author skips around in Kiplings life so It was difficult to follow the sequence of events.Kipling was such an interesting person, I am looking for his official biography written by Carrington.

Exceptional
Clearly the best Kipling biography in many years. Mr. Ricketts has a fine touch, especially for Kipling's early years.If his later life wasn't as exotic and interesting, that's Kipling's affair. I think the mainstream reviewers had it right ('Splendid,' said The Atlantic Monthly, 'irresistibly readable,' said The New Yorker).Insightful and engaging.

good start... fades in middle
Mr. Ricketts begins well. Kipling's ancestors are well drawn. His first years in India are well done. The years back in England when he was 7-17(roughly) are very well written. The first years as a journalist backin India, when Kipling had great success with poems and stories, is welldoen too. So, the first 140 pages are useful. Then the book gets reallyboring. Kipling leaves India,circles the world and lives in Englamnd thenthe US. It's really boring. Mr Ricketts seemed to run out of energy. Soread the first part and skip the last. ... Read more

Product Description
Barrack Room Ballads; The Story of the Gadsbys; Under the Deodars; France at War ... Read more

Product Description
Verses 1889-1896 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Rudyard Kipling is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Rudyard Kipling then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

wasted download
This is just a Table of Contents and first lines only.I found out only by downloading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A rare and special version of the Jungle Books!
Time is too short today for me to write a review of the Jungle Books (the Mowgli stories) themselves.I have read them all my life and they are among my very favorite stories.With Tolkien and the Bible they are on my Top Ten list for sure.

What I have to say about this edition is that it is the ONLY version so far where I have seen the story "In the Rukh," which takes place when Mowgli is an adult.My copy of this book differs from that shown in the photos above in that mine does not have the illustrated cover (and I cannot find a publication date, just the copyrights of 1893, 1894 & 1895), but the inside pages are the same.

Never mind the Disney version.Enjoy the catchy tunes if you like but make no mistake:Kipling's Mowgli stories are far more than silliness.Take some time to find and read them.And if you get a copy with "In the Rukh," hold on to it. ... Read more

Product Description
The best of the best- this collection contains some of the best classics by one of the most important literary figures of his time (Contains hundreds of short stories):

Just So Stories
The Jungle Book
Kim
Captains Courageous
Puck Pook’s Hill
Plain Tales From the Hill
Rewards and Fairies
The Man Who Would Be King
Works of Rudyard Kipling (huge collection of stories)
Just So Stories


... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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Soldier Stories is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Rudyard Kipling is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Rudyard Kipling then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every chapter. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Customer Reviews (2)

Great, but why not get a collection?
Barrack-Room Ballads has some of Rudyard Kipling's best and most famous poems - nay, some of the most famous in English, such as "Danny Deever" and "Gunga Din." It was released when poetry was actually popular, gaining immense fame, and remains relatively prominent. The success is due to Kipling's remarkable ability to put meaningful issues in popular form. Highly influenced by the music hall, he has a dexterous command of verse that has always made his poetry accessible and even enjoyable for the masses, including those who usually dislike verse. This is partly because his poems are highly musical and lend themselves well to being sung and/or set to music and partly because of his memorable, eminently quotable phrases. Barrack exemplifies these qualities; it is a group of military poems, thus sadly dealing with an eternally newsworthy subject. Perhaps more importantly, the works are often based on soldiers' songs and otherwise relate to military life in ways readers have long found appealing, e.g., by imitating marching via meter. Kipling's depiction is stunningly detailed and realistic for a non-soldier; one might not think poetry suitable for conveying such things, but his portrait is on par with the best war novels. Rather than a sustained narrative, the poems are vignettes showing almost every aspect of military life:recruiting, training, marching, fighting, etc. Kipling is often said to glorify the army and the British empire, and there is certainly a streak of that. However, no one who reads the poems can deny that he also unflinchingly depicts what pure jingoists ignore - bad morale, desertion, self-doubt, decadence in drink and sex, loss of friends, comrade executions, and more. Barrack is thus very thought-provoking and at times constitutes protest art. Above all, though, Kipling's goal was surely realism. Many poems are first-person from various soldiers' perspectives, and it is clear that Kipling's sympathies lie with privates and minor officers. He vividly shows how they are overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated, drawing significant sympathy from readers. Perhaps more notably, he underscores the oft-overlooked fact that such soldiers have no idea of war's larger purpose, and his rare portrayals of the powers that be show them as out of touch, selfish, and cowardly. Much of this is inherent to military life, giving the poems lasting insight. That said, since they were written in the late nineteenth century, they are inevitably dated in many ways, which only gives them added historical value. This is mostly due to the realism, which comes largely from the first-person narratives; they are especially valuable in how they let story and theme arise naturally, avoiding heavy-handedness - an all-important quality in regard to war literature. However, the narratives have long been controversial. They are written in dialect, which some - famously including George Orwell - see as mocking the working class. Current readers will probably dislike this mainly because it can make reading hard; as nearly always with such things, though, it soon becomes almost second nature. More to the point is that Kipling has soldiers speak as they really did - not only with profanity that now seems mild but with casual racism that is now very striking. This at times reaches such a peak that it has made some liberals stop reading and even condemn Kipling - an understandable impulse, but we must look closely. Some defend him by saying he is merely a reporter, but this is a copout. The question of how much he agrees with his soldiers is complex and still hotly debated, but it seems safe to say that - like nearly all men of his time, place, race, and status -, he likely had a milder prejudice. Even so, we must not dismiss the poems automatically, because the prejudice has a valid artistic and even moral purpose. Anything more than a superficial reading shows that Kipling in many ways sympathizes with the victims of this racism, and this comes out in several ways. Most fundamentally, the insight and sympathy the speakers gain for the natives is believable and affecting because of prior prejudice, making the contrast all the more stunning. One must keep this in mind, though some will of course still think the poems unreadable. Whatever one's view, they are certainly excellent in many other ways - essential for anyone interested in Kipling, English poetry, military life, or the era. General accessibility indeed makes them a good starting point for anyone wanting to get into English poetry. As for the edition, Barrack is well worth buying alone, but the fact that many and often all of its poems are in Kipling collections makes a standalone hard to justify. There is some value in reading them together, but they are usually anthologized in sequence. Those wanting a Kipling primer would do well to start here, but most will be better off with compilations containing many other poems of similar quality, including a large number of military ones. The important thing at any rate is to read Barrack in some form.

very good ebook
Barrack-Room Ballads by Rudyard Kipling

A great poetry from a splendid author. Kipling rocks! ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Literary Collections / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Fiction / General; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

Product Description
Kindle edition of Kipling's stories; collected in this giant Kindle book, with an active table of contents, are over 2,500 pages and over 100 stories.

Some of the classic story collections included in this edition follow below:

Actions and Reactions
The Bridge-Builders
The Day's Work
A Diversity of Creatures
The Eyes of Asia
Indian Tales
The Jungle Book
Just So Stories
Life's Handicap
The Man Who Would Be King
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Ghost Stories
Plain Tales from the Hills
Puck of Pook's Hill
Rewards and Fairies
Rikki-tikki-tavi
The Second Jungle Book
Soldier Stories
Soldiers Three, Part One
Soldiers Three, Part Two
Traffics and Discoveries
Under the Deodars ... Read more

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5 tales, including 'The Man Who Would Be King' and 'My Own True Ghost Story' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great quick read
Gets off to a slow start but very entertaining and well written. Plus it was FREE on Kindle.

The Decline of an Empire
Kipling's "The Man Who Would be King" is an excellent read regarding both the decline of English Imperialism and Victorian literature as well. The book is a parable foreshadowing the consequences of British imperialist practices.

The story's protagonist reflects Kipling's own time spent in India and focuses on an encounter he held with two men who were determined to conquer an unclaimed region in Afghanistan as their very own empire. The reader will have to discover how the account unfolds, however a practical understanding of British imperialist history will perhaps foreshadow the story's plot.

The story also illustrates the transition towards Modern literature. The story's emphasis on moral obscurity and lack of finality in the conclusion show a break from traditional Victorian literature. Overall, a great novella to read utilizing the parable of the consequences of imperialism. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (24)

It never gets old!
This is a great story. The pictures are wonderful and the story is perfect for young and old. The book is inexpensive and worth every penny!

A Nicely Illustrated, Funny Just So Story
Kipling's Just So Stories are literary classics characterized by a wonderful sense of humor and brilliant use of language.In this illustrated version of one, a young elephant (equipped with an abbreviated trunk "as big as a boot") is filled with curiosity, although his family and relations try to drive it out of him through much spanking.He asks endless questions in the manner of small children, receiving many spankings for his trouble, until he hits on a question that provokes a torrent of spanking: "What does the crocodile have for dinner?"Undeterred with this response, he sets out to find out the answer.What happens when he meets the crocodile is a surprise, but he gets a long trunk as a result.He uses this trunk to spank all of his relations upon his return home, and they head off to the river to get their own trunks lengthened.

The young elephant is often confused about why he is being spanked, which provides quite a poor model of adult discipline, since children receiving consequences should always know exactly what standard they have violated.Later, he returns the favor, providing a deliciously naughty fantasy that may be a little too appealing to children inclined to rebellion.Parents will need to be discerning as to whether their child can grasp the story's ridiculous tone.But for a child who can grasp the humor of this pseudo-folktale, it ought to provide an enjoyable flight of imagination.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Lorinda Bryan Cauley (who also illustrated Clancy's Coat), with alternating color and black-and-white drawings.Kipling's original text is retained in full.Because the language is difficult, it may be most appropriate for more advanced listeners or readers in the 4-8 age range.

Parents, be warned - this book may teach bad behavior
I can understand the attraction that some may have to this book, however, if you are planning to read it to a young child, please be aware of some negative underlying themes:

In the first part of the book, several animals spank a young elephant just for being curious and asking questions.A child might interpret this to mean that asking questions and being curious is bad or wrong. (Note: My problem isn't with spanking it and of itself, it's with the context in which it was implemented in the story.)

At the end of the book, the young elephant goes home after obtaining a new trunk and spanks all his aunts and uncles (maybe parents, too, I don't remember now) that spanked him in the beginning, and he is made out to be the story's hero.Not only does this promote revenge-seeking, but completely undermines the respect a child should have for his elders.

Reading this book reminded me that not all "classics" are worth sharing.I hope someone finds this helpful.

Too much spanking
This poor little elephant gets spanked by each parent, and all relatives, even different species for asking questions.I haven't had to spank my children yet and I certainly wouldn't do it so often, especially not for questioning things.

Captivating illustrations.
Geoffry Patterson's beautifully illustrations combine with the easy to read rhythm of this Rudyard Kippling tale. A captivating book.A treasure. ... Read more