The Long Recessional: The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling - Paperback

The Long Recessional: The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling - Paperback

$30.00


by David Gilmour (Author)

"Readable and reliable . . . Gilmour's] assessment of the political background of Kipling's writings is exemplary." --Earl L. Dachslager, Houston Chronicle

David Gilmour's superbly nuanced biography of Rudyard Kipling, now available in paperback, is the first to show how the great writer's life and work mirrored the trajectory of the British Empire, from its zenith to its final decades. His great poem "Recessional" celebrated Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and his last poems warned of the dangers of Nazism, while Kipling himself, an icon of the empire, was transformed from an apostle of success to a prophet of national decline. As Gilmour makes clear, Kipling's mysterious and enduring works deeply influenced the way his readers saw both themselves and the British Empire, and they continue to challenge our own generation.

Author Biography

David Gilmour is the author of many works of literary and political history, including Curzon: Imperial Statesman (FSG, 2003) and The Last Leopard: A Life of Giuseppe di Lampedusa. He lives in Edinburgh.

Number of Pages: 368
Dimensions: 0.9 x 9 x 6 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: October 11, 2006
Shop Pay Continue Shopping

Estimated delivery: June 12 - June 15, 2026

Secure Checkout

Free Returns

Proudly USA Based

Accepted Payment Methods

American Express
Apple Pay
Diners Club
Discover
Google Pay
Mastercard
PayPal
Shop Pay
Visa