KIM

London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd, 1901. First edition. Illustrated with 10 plates in black and white on coated paper from bas-reliefs by the author's father, John Lockwood Kipling. 8vo, in the publisher’s original ‘Kipling’ red cloth with gilt embossed elephant on the upper cover, gilt lettered on the spine, t.e.g. 413, [2 ads] pp. A very bright and attractive copy, internally both the text and the plates are very fresh and clean and fine, endleaves a slight touch mellowed as usual. The red cloth of the binding has no fading to the spine, which is uncommon, and has just a little minor mottling to the boards, in all still very attractive. A VERY FRESH AND BRIGHT COPY OF THIS KIPLING CLASSIC, the picaresque novel of India, generally considered Kipling’s masterpiece and one of his most popular works.
Kipling was born in Bombay, grew up in London and traveled throughout the world. “Widely regarded as unofficial poet laureate, he refused many honours; in 1907 he was the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize” [Oxf Comp to Eng Lit]. Kipling was popular with common soldiers and his phrase, “the white man’s burden” influenced and was used to justify the period of neo-colonialism up until the second World War. While he was and remains a controversial figure, his children’s books do not have this quality and are considered some of his greatest achievements. KIM, of course, is considered the greatest representation of his talents and is considered by many to be Kipling"s greatest work of all.