The long recessional : the imperial life of Rudyard Kipling / David Gilmour.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gilmour, David, 1952-

Contributor:

Gotham Book Mart Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936.

Kipling, Rudyard.

Authors, English--19th century--Biography.

Authors, English.

Authors, English--20th century--Biography.

Imperialism in literature.

Genre:

Biographies.

Penn Provenance:

Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copy)

Physical Description:

xii, 351 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Edition:

First American edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.

Summary:

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was a unique figure in British history, a great writer as well as an imperial icon whose life trajectory matched that of the British Empire from its zenith to its final decades. Kipling was in his early twenties when his first stories about Anglo-Indian life vaulted him into celebrity. He went on to be awarded the Nobel Prize, and to add more phrases to the language than any man since Shakespeare, but his conservative views and advocacy of imperialism damaged his critical reputation -- while at the same time making him all the more popular with a general readership. By the time he died, the man who incarnated an era for millions was almost forgotten, and new generations must come to terms in their own way with his enduring but mysterious powers. Previous works on Kipling have focused exclusively on his writing and on his domestic life. Here, the distinguished biographer David Gilmour not only explains how and why Kipling wrote, but also explores the themes of his complicated life, his ideas, his relationships, and his views on the Empire and the future. Gilmour is the first writer to explore Kipling's public role, his influence on the way Britons saw themselves and their Empire. His fascinating new book, based on extensive research (especially in the under explored archives of the United States), is a groundbreaking study of a great and misunderstood writer.

Contents:

Part One: Child of empire

Ejections from Paradise

A newsman in Lahore

The Anglo-Indian chronicle

Cities of dreadful night

A sense of empire

Part Two: Imperial apostle

The long trail home

The American years

The Prophet's burden

Rhodes and Milner

Lessons from the Boers

Part Three: Cassandra's dominions

The discovery of England

The Colonial sisterhood

Liberal treacheries

In defence of privilege

Part Four: Jeremiah's Laments

Egypt and Ulster

Armageddon

The pain of peace

Bonfires on the ice.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 330-337) and index.

ISBN:

0374187029

9780374187026

0374528969

9780374528966

OCLC:

49622144

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description