The man who would be Kipling

"The Man who would be Kipling offers a detailed critical reappraisal of one of the most compelling and influential authors in the history of British imperial culture. Covering the international phase of Kipling's career - which saw him living in India, America, South Africa and Edwardian England - the volume explores the relationship between Kipling's writings and the politically complex times and environments in which they were written. Drawing upon manuscripts, journalism, uncollected and rarely collected writings, the study uncovers the historical significance and hidden meanings of a wide range of stories, from popular works such as The Jungle Books to a number of less-familiar tales. Combining careful textual analysis with lively historical coverage, The Man who would be Kipling suggests that the author's political ideas and narrative modes are more subtly connected with lived experience and issues of cultural environment than has been formerly recognised. Kipling emerges as a writer informed by such global developments as the expansion in technologies of mass production and communications, the consolidation of US imperial power (with its attendant domestic economic and social upheavals), and the dawning realities of postcolonial Britain."--Jacket.