Rudyard Kipling Books

In 1965 my young daughter bought this book for her father. Every night each of our four children would select a poem to read to him and me. Soon they had some of their favorites memorized. It is a selection of some of the greatest poems ever written. I recently purchased copies for my children, their children and their children's children. I still read one to myself every morning with my first cup of coffee and it brings back such wonderful memories and keeps my memory strong.

This little book changed my life!

My first copy of this book was a paperback edition given to me at the age of sixteen, in 1951 (I still have the original book, and yes, I'm now 74 years young), at a school in Los Angeles, California that specialized in improving speech problems--of which I severely had. I would read and reread poems and speeches aloud from this book, which was a break through, in its own right. Previous to this little book, reading aloud was absolutely out of the question--it just didn't/couldn't/wouldn't happen. It wasn't that I didn't want to; it was simply beyond my capacity. The school, per se, did not help me, but the One Hundred And One Famous Poems certainly has. I keep extra copies on hand to give away to people who might benefit similarly to the way it has helped me. From that beginning I have for all intents and purposes overcome the speech problem; enjoyed Toastmasters for four years, while reaching the Advanced Toastmaster Silver Level of achievement; wrote a book on golf and taught my subject material (my wife and I together) in three golf classes, averaging 26 students, per year for twenty years at the college level (extended studies). My life definitely took an upturn as a direct result of this little book. My favorites for reading aloud are two poems and two speeches: The Spider And The Fly, A Fable, by Mary Howitt (page 145); Home, by Edgar A. Guest (page 152) as read with a naturally acquired Scottish brogue, with much gusto; The Gettysburg Address, given by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 (page 173); The War Inevitable, 1775, by Patrick Henry (page 177); the speeches have helped me develop a voice (in my mind, anyway) that closely resembles how Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Henry might have sounded. My gratefulness and thankfulness for having this little book in my life is literally much beyond description of mere words. Enjoy!

As a child my mother read from this book of poetry to all her children. It is a wonderful book of poems by many different authors. I believe it is a book to be shared by everyone who loves poetry. I was thrilled to find it was still in print so I could give it as a gift.

John Adams told his son, John Quincy; "You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket."

This is a wonderful little compilation. Just the right size and length. It includes simple poetry that touches the heart, some timeless verses from 'the grand old masters' and some from the 'humbler poets' (Longfellow). It also includes the Magna Charta, letters from A.Lincoln, The War Inevitable (Patrick Henry) and the Declaration of Independence.

You can't go wrong with this volume, whether you are just dipping a toe, or you're steeped in the world of poetry.

This is a wonderful collection of poems. IT is a national treasure. I had this book and lost it, thinking that by now it was out of print. I love the variety of authors and the variety of each author's poems.

I enjoy this series because so much research is invested in them, and it shows. The authors manage to bring a great deal of historic detail to their work, bringing actual events into the story to make it more plausible. Here the author Rudyard Kipling and his family, including his aunt, the social activist wife of a famous painter, are introduced to the reader in the small town of Rottingdam. The actual town's history of smuggling activity is woven into a very plausible plot of murder and intrigue which is resolved by the sleuthing duo Lord and Lady Sheridan with the help of a small boy and the famous author.

Although I usually have some difficulty divining the culprit because of the abundance of red herrings that twist through the plots of these works, I was already well on the culprit's trail this time. Knowing--or at least suspecting--the guilty party in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the work, however. As with any well crafted panopoly of characters and colorful settings, the "visit" is what makes the whole work worth while.

I love this series. Not only are the stories well told but I love how the books include real authors from the period in the story lines. This is usually done with fairly minor characters but Rudyard Kipling plays a major role in this book. The books are also very well researched and in this particular book I learned a great deal I had never known before about the smuggling that went on in England. These mysteries are also very family friendly. I would recommend them to anyone.

At the end of the last book of this series, Sir Charles and his wife Kate were happily residing at Kate's ancestral home at Bishop's Keep. In the interval between that book and this one, Sir Charles' brother has died and the couple is now Lord and Lady Sheridan. Being the fifth Baron of Somersworth has placed a great deal of added responsibility on the couple's shoulders not the least of which is Lord Charles' seat in the House of Lords. While in London, the pregnant Kate ventures into the slums to aid in the care of the sick and becomes sick herself. Not only does Kate almost die but she also faces a far different future based on the permanent physical damage caused by the disease. Her feelings about this change in circumstances are bottled up inside as are the feelings of her husband and this background story ends up playing a large role in the plot as a whole.

Lord Charles has promised Kate a holiday away from London where they can spend time together like they did before Charles inherited all of these new responsibilities. They head for Rottingdean, a little village on the Channel taking along only Amelia and Lawrence, their two most valued servants. They arrive just after the body of a Coast Guard has washed up on the beach, a death the local constable writes off as a suicide. Soon another Coast Guard is found shot and by a gun the likes of which Charles has never seen. Unfortunately for Charles, he is at a party with the Crown Prince when news of the second death arrives. Remembering the bang up job Charles had done in a previous investigation that saved the Crown a great deal of embarrassment, His Royal Highness put Lord Charles in charge of the case. So much for their quite holiday!

Charles and Kate are soon hard at work and slowly they begin to uncover what seems to be a vast conspiracy. A conspiracy that at face value doesn't make any sense at all. They are aided immensely by a local boy named Patrick who knows far more than he is willing to tell at first. He is after all quite fond of some of the people who are very deeply involved in the conspiracy. I have a feeling that we will see more of Patrick in future books.

Besides the Prince, the other historical figure who shows up in this book is the famous author Rudyard Kipling, who also aids the investigation a great deal. The appearance of these real people in this series adds a greatly to the stories as does the very realistic atmosphere. The authors are to be commended for their skill in story telling and their willingness to do a lot of research to make everything so believable. These stories are so realistic that while reading a previous book in which the characters must have drank gallons of tea, I started craving tea and had to break out the Earl Gray. In this book they drank lemonade and I ended up sending to the store for some of that. It takes a very talented storyteller to take a reader that deeply into a story. This is just a marvelously fun and suspenseful book that will keep you glued to it's pages from beginning to end.

This is an excellent addition to the Kathryn and Charles series. In this book we find out about another aspect of Victorian England - smuggling and other nefarious schemes. There are actually two storylines in this book, and the authors deal with both of them very well. They certainly keep their readers interested. I like the obvious research that goes into each one of these books, and the totally different view that we are given about life in England just before the turn of the last century. The books are always enteratining and we get a history lesson too.

Loved the story , maybe I am being biased for I am lucky enough to live in Rottingdean. I was able to read the story while sitting by the village pond & on the beach.The historical research into the area is first class. Great read for the Summer or a seaside holiday.

There is no question that Kipling was an incredibly talented writer and this collection includes 40 of his best stories. The stories are evidently in chronological order, beginning with his tales of India and, as pointed out by another reviewer, they cover a wide range of subjects. The breadth of this collection really showcases Kipling's ability to write dialogue in the vernacular for characters as disparate as Indian tribesmen, Englishmen (and women) of various social classes and ages, and even a few ancient Romans.

This collection does, however, have its faults. The first is that the writing is very difficult to follow in some places. A few (brief) sections of dialogue are so obscure as to be unintelligible, at least to the modern reader. There are also (very occasionally) passages such as this one: "In the Mediterranean (Nile keeping always her name) there is but one river-that shifty-mouthed Danube, where she works through her deltas into the Black Sea.", which are needlessly opaque. The vast majority of the book is very lucid, but every so often I did find myself having to reread the last few lines to try to decipher what Kipling intended to convey.

The other thing that I did not particularly like were some of the stories that Kipling wrote later in his life (e.g. "The Gardener", "Mary Postgate", "The Wish House"). While these stories are often considered his best, I found them a bit on the gloomy side; his Indian tales were much more enjoyable to read. In my opinion, "The Gardener" is a meandering over-rated tale and the ending of "Mary Postgate" is annoyingly vague.

Most of the stories in this collection were enjoyable to read, and all are excellently written. I highly recommend it.

The title is a lie: this is not even close to being Kipling's collected stories. It is a selection, and an excellent one. If you want all of Kipling's stories, you'll have to look elsewhere. If you want a good place to find the best of them, this is the book to have.

Ihave read one of the most deep tales, the title "the gardener". When i readed it came to my mind two words: fathe, hope, uncanny.

This tale awake in my a feeling, the atraction for the work of kipling,is magic, it surrounds your views with his views, his feelings with your feelings. All that happens is the presence of the author, this book, is not a simple book of tales, is the gate for a new worlds, a thousend of worlds, all with a new gravity and with brave life

Kipling is little appreciated today, and that's a shame, because he was one of the finest short-story writers the world has ever produced. The closest word I can find to describe his stories is "hynotic." Such an imagination...many of the stories are understated horror and fantasy: stories of talking trains, of wild rides that end up in hellish worlds, of frighteningly realistic curses by man-beasts. Some are truly puzzling, such as "The Gardener." Some are obviously (and disturbingly) autobiographical ("Baa Baa Black Sheep"). Kipling strikes a note few writers can: his stories can be enjoyed (and enjoyed immensely) by both children and adults. These are the kinds of stories that children love having read to them. They always clamor for more.

My father used to read it to the four of us when we were little. Our favorite was the "Elephant's Child". He did great voices and everything. It was so fantastic growing up with that. When I found it at the book store I bought two copies. One for me dad and one for myself. A timeless classic.

One of my favorite memories of my youth is that of my grandfather sitting down to read to me from this book. The timeless stories mix hilarity with common sense; their life lessons appeal to all ages. My all-time favorite is the Armadillo story, from which I can still quote directly. You and your children will benefit from and find much delight in these wonderful stories. Buy this book, Best Beloved - you'll be glad you did.

this is an excellent, intelligent book that will make everyone smile. the animal stories are cute and compelling and silly...after my sister took our childhood copy of this book, i'm buying it for myself. although it is intended for children, it is written with such an intelligent wit that adults, too, will find the stories endearing. this is an especially charming book to read aloud.

One of the greatest losses to cinema is the old-fashioned, politically incorrect but thoroughly enjoyable British Empire film that was designed to prove no point other than its value as entertainment. In recent decades John Huston's "The Man Who Would Be King" managed to distill the old and the new sensibilities into a cohesive whole; but alas, the increasing lack of hardy and rugged actors of the caliber of a Sean Connery or a Victor McLaglen or an Errol Flynn have made the task of filming Kipling or Haggard yarns all the more formidable; and audiences are the losers.

What Philip Leibfried has achieved here is an immensely readable and enlightening survey that details just how many such films have been made based on the writings of these two authors. The survey goes beyond the films to also include adaptations in other media. The list is staggering: some 110 adaptations all told, each one described (where information was avaliable) with cast and credits, production history, and criticisms. Each of the authors' works is also delineated in a plot summary; and stills illustrate the book liberally. (How the author managed to find some of the more obscure stills remains no small achievement). The lives and careers of both men are also described in some depth in the Introduction.

The author's approach is sensible and fair: even the poorest film gets coverage and consideration. Space obviously did not allow for it, but on rare occasion, however, one wishes for an even more expansive approach, as in the case of the 1950 adaptation of "King's Solomons Mines". Because that film was almost unrecognizable as an adaptaion of Haggard, it receives less coverage than most of the other major productions. However, the author is clearly more respectful of the more faithful filmings, and he rightly bemoans the fact that this 1950 film left out the book's fantasy elements, many of its characters, and much of its action and plot.

These adaptations of Kipling and Haggard brought forth the best that Hollywood and the world had to offer in order to make them: directors such as John Ford, Victor Fleming, William Wellman, George Stevens, John Huston, and the Korda brothers; and actors of the caliber of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Michael Caine, Deborah Kerr, Ronald Colman and the three mentioned in the opening paragraph; not to mention inimitable players such as Sabu, Shirley Temple, and of course Sam Jaffe, whose heroic and poignant portrayal of the simple regimental "bhisti" Gunga Din remains the most unforgettable of them all.

The book is handsomely packaged, on fine paper, with the stills very sharply reproduced. It is the kind of book that can be opened to any page for reading; and for once we have a "Complete List" film book that offers up a healthy serving of fresh and virtually unknown material, both written and pictorial.

This well-written and delightful book, a comprehensive guide to the works of Rudyard Kipling and Sir Henry Rider Haggard on screen, stage, radio, and TV, is the perfect gift for both the cinéaste and the casual moviegoer and reader of adventure lore. The stills and posters are great. Many of the scenes come alive in memory. The synopses and reviews are exhaustive. Mr. Leibfried's knowledge of his subject is encyclopedic. His aside on the Haggard-Hayden feud is proof alone of that. A great book for film buffs everywhere.

Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book) and Sir Henry Rider Haggard (King Solomon's Mines) were close friends who wrote popular stories and poems about exotic adventure in very different ways. Their various works have been adapted many times for screen, stage, television, and radio productions. Rudyard Kipling And Sir Henry Rider Haggard On Screen, Stage, Radio And Television is a complete and definitive guide to those adaptations and each original literary work is summarized, followed by a complete filmography and analysis for each film based on a particular story or poem. Separate sections provide information on adaptions created for radio, stage, and television. The informative text material is enhanced further with numerous photographs from films. Rudyard Kipling And Sir Henry Rider Haggard On Screen, Stage, Radio And Television is an invaluable addition to literary and film histories, and an important reference for all Kipling and Haggard fans.

This is barely a work of fiction. The stories of the three schoolboys, Stalky, M'Turk and Beetle, aren't all entirely complete and true, but the boys existed and so did the teachers and school. The schoolboy dialog is difficult at first. "Fag" still means short (like a "fag," a very short cigar or cigarette) but in the school it means the youngest boys of the lower form classes. Being "easy to draw" is a sharp criticism for "showing one's feelings too transparently." "Je vais gloater" is pseudo-French, meaning, "I'm going to gloat." Stalky and Company is full of lingo like this.

If you like pranks, you will laugh at this book and enjoy the story of increasing criminal competence developed by these three rascals.

If you think boys should be formed into serious and studious young men through studies and daily rigors on the playing field, on the other hand, you're going to hate this ruthless, unfunny, nightmarish book. This established argument about Stalky and Company has been going on for most of a century, and some of the praises and criticisms were contained over 40 years ago in "Kipling and the Critics," edited by Eliot Gilbert.

To Kipling's credit, not all the adventures are funny nor harmless. There are some serious messages, especially at the end. The careful reader will recieve an astonishing education, for the boys described were real, the school actually existed, and the graduates were prepared for "Sandhurst," the informal name for the town where the Royal Military Academy was and remains located. So it is a realistic story about boys prepared through secondary education to become officers of the British Empire at its historical high period.

If you enjoy this book and wonder what the real story was, it is still possible to get a copy of M'Turk's (Beresford's) actual autobiography about going to school with Kipling and Stalky (later General Dunsterville) in "School Days with Kipling," by Beresford. The sketch drawings of the boys and masters at the school described in "Stalky and Company" are thoroughly amusing, and a story of a play the boys put on for each other is a masterpiece of farce.

Kipling appears to be freighted with controversey. That said, Stalky&Co. is one of those small masterpieces rarely read-more the pity. This wonderful, surprising, semi-autobiographical novel takes place within an English boys school, an institution primarily serving to push young officer candidates forward in their pre-military careers,cramming,inelegantly,for Sandhurst and the like. What sets this book apart from the entire genre is Kipling's extraordinary capacity to bring the three major characters, and the larger cast of minor players, teachers, staff, students, to a brilliant realization. But there is more: within these pages are some of the most uncanny perceptions of human behavior one can find, either within or without a pyschology text. Whatever one thinks of Kipling or the context within which he wrote, this slim volume is luminously lit both by the writer's indelible affection for his creations, and the profundity of what their experiences teach us all. If you swear a solemn oath to read only one single English Nineteenth Century Novel outside of the incomparable canon of Dickens, please, please, track down of copy of Stalky and Company, put aside all preconceptions, and for a too brief period of time, enter a rare, rare world.

Stalky and Co. is great fun. I have twice read these nine clever tales of three outrageous school boys - Stalky, M'Turk, and Beetle. Their ongoing battle of wits with masters (especially their nemesis, the sanctimonious Mr. King), fellow students, and the occasional school bully are immensely entertaining. Rudyard Kipling allegedly based these stories on his school years; to some degree Beetle was a self-portrait.

I had some initial difficulty with Kipling's schoolboy dialogue, but I did eventually become fluent in late nineteenth century British schoolboy slang. This fluency is critical to enjoying Kipling as the stories are comprised almost entirely of dialogue.

We quickly learn in the first story, In Ambush, that despite rules to the contrary, all right minded boys built huts in the furze hill behind the school, a place of retreat and meditation, where they smoked. Stalky, M'Turk, and Beetle were no exception. In this tale the three friends brilliantly outwit Mr. King, but they prove no match for the Headmaster, the final arbitrator and administer of justice.

Mr. King again underestimates the trio in the comical tale, An Unsavory Interlude. As Kipling unveils the convoluted, devious exploits of Stalky and friends, I wondered how they found time for Latin, mathematics, writing, and other studies. The answer is revealed in The Impressionists, another uneven match between the trio and a master, this time the overly conscientious Mr. Prout.

The tone of the last few stories - A Little Prep, The Flag of Their Country, and The Last Term - remained amusing, but they addressed more serious topics like bullying, sincere patriotism, and true courage. Kipling concludes with a visit with the schoolboys more than a decade later, now responsible men entrusted with managing and protecting the extensive British empire.

Stalky and Co. is as delightfully humorous today as it was a century ago. I am sure that you will enjoy meeting Stalky, M'Turk, and Beetle. Cheers.

In buff slipcase. Bound in green and tan cloth in a marbled/feather pattern with gilt at the spine.

Many illustrations! Over 14 full color drawings and over 35 smaller pen & ink drawings in black and white.

With an introduction by B. Dobree. 383 pp.

In buff slipcase. Bound in green and tan cloth in a marbled/feather pattern with gilt at the spine.

Many illustrations! Over 14 full color drawings and over 35 smaller pen & ink drawings in black and white.

With an introduction by B. Dobree. 383 pp.

At the conclusion of the First World War, famed British author Rudyard Kipling was asked to write the regimental history of the Irish Guards in that conflict. Kipling, long associated with the British Army in India and still grieving for his only son, who went missing in action with 2nd Battalion of the Irish Guards at Loos in 1915, took on the task. The result is a subdued but respectful and unusually readable regimental history in two volumes, one for each of the two active battalions.

Kipling keeps his focus on the events at battalion and company level. The narrative is from the perspective of the fighting men, who were largely unaware of the events of the larger war in their day-to-day struggles. Kipling acknowledges up front the impossibility of capturing an accurate account of four years of desperate fighting. His research from the war diaries of the units and interviews with survivors does captures the general flow of events from day to day as the Irish Guards moved around Northern France between 1914 and the armistice in 1918.

A number of features stand out in Kipling's narrative from the perspective of the 21st Century:

First, the Irish Guards enjoyed tremendous unit cohesion, based on high standards of professionalism among its officers, non-commissioned officers and private soldiers. Kipling notes again and again the continued attention of the soldiers to the care of their arms, equipment and clothing and of the officers to the care of their soldiers, under appalling conditions in the trenches and under enemy fire.

Second, the Irish Guards remained a highly effective fighting unit throughout the war. The First Battalion's stand at the First Battle of Ypres in 1914 is an example of their excellence. After the defeat of the initial German thrust toward Paris, the British Army fought to protect its lines of communication through ports on the English Channel. The Irish Guards found itself repeatedly fighting outnumbered and isolated on a fragmented line, knowing there were no reserves behind them. The battalion suffered horrendous casualties but stubbornly blocked German advances that if successful might have ended the war.

Third, Kipling notes the tremendous patience, courage, and good humor with which the unit faced its challenges, including the lack of up-to-date equipment in the first years of the war, the constant need to integrate fresh drafts of replacements from home, and the continuing deadly innovations of the Germans across the trench lines.

"The Irish Guards in the Great War" is very highly recommended to students of the First World War and of the British Army as an outstanding example of regimental history. This edition is richly illustrated with photographs and maps.

Mr Kipling has always been a favorite author of mine. My intense intrest in English and specifically Irish, Scots and Welsh military history led me to reading both volumes on the 1st and 2d Battalions of the Irish Guards. Mr. Kipling's history of the Irish Guards is a spectacular book set that unflinchingly describes the sacrifices of the men of the Regiment (and that generation) that willing sacrificed themselves for their comrades on the Fields of France. For those intrested, I highly recommend another great book entitled, Ireland's Forgotten Soldiers. It details the establishment and battles that the 16th Irish Division participated in and the Redmond Volunteers in the Great War.

I had a paperback copy of this book. This is a true classic nicely presented with the author's illustrations.

I grew up on Kipling and this was the first book I read of his works. The stories in this fine edition not only introduced me to deep thinking, but are fun stories that you can learn and live by. Teach your children that literature is fun by having them read this or read it to them as bedtime stories.

The name "Maltese Cat" is so famous in polo world. I really love this book and read it very often to my children.
The story is about a polo game in India. The SKIDARS against the ARCHANGELS. Maltese Cat is the captain of the Skidars ponies is telling the story, all odds are against them but they are fighting till the glorious victory!!
Like all of the players and ponies in the polofields all over the world.
I'm sure that my ponies also do like the game and all of our ponies are playing the game as well.
It's fun!!

Being a polo player myself, I found The Maltese Cat a very interesting and accurate view of the game. Being from the ponies perspective is original and entertaining and it makes me wonder what my ponies are thinking when I play them!

Loved reading it to pieces and can read it over and over again...