The Man Who Would Be King: and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions: Short Stories)

Years ago, I caught on tv the tail end of the movie The Man Who Would Be King (TMWWBK). It starred Sean Connery and Michael Caine so, of course, I was riveted to the screen. It so piqued my interest that I looked up the title of the film in my TV Guide. Ever since then, I had been looking to borrow a copy of the movie from the local Blockbuster, but the title isn't exactly a popular favorite. When Kindle became available on the PC, it struck me to look up TMWWBK on Amazon books. I figured, if there was a book version, I'd enjoy the piece much better than if I got hold of a DVD. Connery and Caine are two gorgeous men with a lovely accent, but I have to admit that their looks and manner of speaking sometimes gets in the way when I'm trying to understand a movie. I was pleased to find out that there is a book version, but pretty much surprised to find out that it was written by Rudyard Kipling. I had always thought of him in terms of jungle books for kids and Gunga Din. Anyway, cheapskate that I am, learning that the author is Rudyard Kipling presented me with an added pleasure. I knew right away that there would be a free version on Kindle! Enough of the backgrounder and on to my review proper: the book is an eye opener. It's a window into the mind of the colonizer; not the "noble" mind of the British statesman, but the more down-to-earth view of the British mercenary. It offers a simplistic analysis of what it takes to make subjects out of a bunch of natives and points out the important role of religion in the work of colonizing. It all seems so crass and mercenary, but in the end, the bumbling pair find out what true and lasting leadership requires. This is great reading, especially for an election year like 2012. People should read this book before heading out to the polling places. And really, for Americans who take their right to vote for granted, TMWWBK will open your eyes to your responsibility to elect a true leader who will serve the people and lead them towards a shared vision of a better America for all. Enough of the squabbling and let's all get to work behind one man with a vision and the determination to serve no matter what the personal consequences. And BTW, someone finally gifted me with my very own Kindle, the one with ads. It's a totally different experience from reading on your PC or even your iPad. It's so gentle on the eyes that I've read more books in the last few months than I have in the last five years. Not just the free classics, Amazon will be happy to note. Those ads of yours are so darn effective!

Afghanistan has been the demise of many an outsider and one such tale is told by Rudyard Kipling in the Man Who Would Be King. The story is a narration of a story of two Englishmen, Daniel Dravot and Preachy Carnehan, who set off from northeast India for Kafiristan (currently Nuristan) in Afghanistan. Kafiristan is populated by a pagan, tribal, fiercely independent people. The names come from Persian descriptions of the people who lived there. Kafirs are "pagans" or "infidels" and Nuris are "the enlightened ones." The renaming happened after they were conquered and converted to Islam in the 1890s. Kipling's story takes place before the subjugation. It is fictional but was inspired by historical events. The two Englishmen make it to their destination using wile and guise. They demonstrate their superiority with rifles to kill men at a distance. They rise to power, indeed becoming kings. Their next step is to convince their people they are Gods by interpreting ancient Masonic signs. (Kipling had become a Freemason in 1885.) This works for a while until Dravot insists on a wife and it all unravels with brutal results. It's the classic tale of comeuppance. Read it for a interesting view of the Raj at the end of the 19th century and the moral lesson.

"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.

In this book, Mr. Kipling's encyclopedic knowledge of British India in the 19th Century shows through. As a dose of local color the stories are great! But, I think Kipling's skills are more suited to poetry than prose, and they lack the lyrical quality so common in his poems. Still, they are well worth reading. The title story is very much like a Greek tragedy in its structure, with the heroes barely nosed out of the conquest of Kafiristan (the semi-mythical land beyond Afghanistan) where the locals think the two British soldiers are gods. The story isn't much like the movie. Two of the other stories are ghost stories where native superstition becomes shockingly real to British characters -- these are really neat if you don't mind a dose of the supernatural. Then there's a cute coming of age story about the colonel's son leading a daring rescue (Wee Willie Winkie). There's also a very poignant love story that ends tragically when a British civil servant marries a Moslem woman in secret. The attitudes and customs are represented as accurately as possible (more accurately than could be done by a present day author because that culture of the Raj no longer exists), and the stories are well crafted. Why didn't I give them more stars? I just didn't get the feeling of greatness! But you be the judge. These stories are certainly worth your time.

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!

Great story and cautionary tail. a must read for any adventure seeker.

The idea of a pair of British small-time conmen winning over the locals and setting themselves up as royalty in what is now Nuristan may seem nothing short of fantastic, but this is an entertaining read and is perhaps a cautionary tale for any westerners with their own agendas in this part of the world (even if not quite as ambitions as Dravot's and Carnehan's). One of the better Kipling short stories, it has the usual ethnocentric and class-conscious Kipling foibles but is not quite as blatant or grating as some of his other works. It certainly kept me occupied and amused during an involuntary extended layover between flights at Kandahar - and gave me something to think about en route to my next location, too.

This is a wonderful story told in Kipling's unique style. An amazing adventure set in a land that is still as almost unknown and untamed as it was during the reign of Queen Victoria. This is a great character portrayal of two ragamuffin soldier adventurers who decide that their talents can be better used in the wild lands to the north of the Kieber Pass than tramping and scamming through British India. The dissolution of their honorable intentions which they inscribed in a personal contract of adventure and their final awful downfall makes great reading. The movie with Michael Cane should not be missed as it does great justice to this wonderful story.

ces nouvelles sont remarquables ! C'est un document irremplaçable des Indes britanniques, et sans doute l'une des oeuvres les plus marquantes de Kipling.

The Man Who Would Be King is my favourite film and leaves me with a tear in my eye every single time as Peachy explains to Brother Kipling who he and his friend Danny went off to old Kafiristan to be kings. It's a film I have watched over 20 times and always wanted to read the book. When my beloved bought me a Kindle for my birthday I wasted no time in downloading this brief tale for FREE! It is somewhat different to the film but much of the films memorable dialogue is lifted word for word from the book - god's holy trousers, have I not put the shadow of my hand over this country, for the sake of the widow's son, etc. Furthermore, Danny Dravot is not quite as sympathetic as Sean Connery portrayed him, Peachy is more of a central figure than Michael Caine made him and Billy Fish is very, very different from the delightful version created by Sayed Jaffrey, but the book is an absolute delight. I read it in two sessions and was so glad I did. Kipling's prose is easy to read and as fresh today as it was when he wrote it when Victoria was on the throne. I loved the film and I love the book. Genuinely magnificent.

An interesting book - set in Asia of the past. Fantasy! Oh, to be a king! And to find a suiting queen for the king!

Wow, thanks Amazon for Kindle on Android (free app!). I have never read any of Kipling's works that I can remember, but as this was free to download to Kindle I thought I'd give it a go, and what a revelation! For start, the way it's written is somewhat old fashioned some may think, but is bang on for the era, and if you just take a moment to get used to the language form at the beginning, it becomes very natural within a few pages. The story is really quite interesting, set in Asia I believe in the latter 19th century, and effectively is the story of two unfortunate colonials who have grand ideas but lack the education to bring them to fruition in conventional ways. I've really enjoyed reading this, and it really keeps my attention. Having the book on my mobile phone is great because I can open it up whenever I have 5 minutes no matter where I am. I think I've had this 3 days and am half way through already (though I've been working most of this time!). Can't wait to see how things end up. If you've never read a classic work then I would really encourage you to do so, and if you've read this as a kid at school, read it again, I promise you won't be disappointed!

The book had no dust cover, very disapointed.