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Quest for Kim: In Search of Kipling's Great Game
This book is for all those who love Kim, the masterpiece of Indian life in which Kipling immortalized the Great Game, the centuries-old power struggle between Russia and Great Britain in the depths of Central Asia. Fascinated since childhood by this strange tale of an orphan boy's recruitment into the Indian secret service, Peter Hopkirk here explores the many mysteries surrounding Kipling's great novel.
"This is a fascinating, brilliantly written book, as interesting in its description of the author's journeys as it is in its investigation of the reality that lies behind 'the finest novel in the English language with an Indian theme,'" as Kim has been described by Nirad Chaudhuri." --T. J. Binyon, Times Literary Supplement
"In an original combination of autobiography, travel writing, and literary detective work, Hopkirk manages accessibly to tell the story of Kim and his own obsession with it. Hopkirk illustrates how creatively and thoroughly the reading of a work of fiction can shape a whole life's experience." -- John R. Bradley, Independent on Sunday
". . . a reminder of just how absorbing was the world Kipling knew, and how fabulous was his transformation of it into literature." --Richard Bernstein, New York Times
Peter Hopkirk has traveled widely over many years in the regions where his books are set--Central Asia, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. His nearly twenty years with The Times included work as an Asian affairs specialist. His previous books include The Great Game, Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, Trespassers on the Roof of the World, Setting the East Ablaze, and Our Secret Service East of Constantinople. His works have been translated into twelve languages.
"This is a fascinating, brilliantly written book, as interesting in its description of the author's journeys as it is in its investigation of the reality that lies behind 'the finest novel in the English language with an Indian theme,'" as Kim has been described by Nirad Chaudhuri." --T. J. Binyon, Times Literary Supplement
"In an original combination of autobiography, travel writing, and literary detective work, Hopkirk manages accessibly to tell the story of Kim and his own obsession with it. Hopkirk illustrates how creatively and thoroughly the reading of a work of fiction can shape a whole life's experience." -- John R. Bradley, Independent on Sunday
". . . a reminder of just how absorbing was the world Kipling knew, and how fabulous was his transformation of it into literature." --Richard Bernstein, New York Times
Peter Hopkirk has traveled widely over many years in the regions where his books are set--Central Asia, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. His nearly twenty years with The Times included work as an Asian affairs specialist. His previous books include The Great Game, Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, Trespassers on the Roof of the World, Setting the East Ablaze, and Our Secret Service East of Constantinople. His works have been translated into twelve languages.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
41 people are currently reading
524 people want to read
About the author
Peter Hopkirk
24 books306 followersPeter Hopkirk was born in Nottingham, the son of Frank Stewart Hopkirk, a prison chaplain, and Mary Perkins. He grew up at Danbury, Essex, notable for the historic palace of the Bishop of Rochester. Hopkirk was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford. The family hailed originally from the borders of Scotland in Roxburghshire where there was a rich history of barbaric raids and reivers hanging justice. It must have resonated with his writings in the history of the lawless frontiers of the British Empire. From an early age he was interested in spy novels carrying around Buchan's Greenmantle and Kipling's Kim stories about India. At the Dragon he played rugby, and shot at Bisley.
Before turning full-time author, he was an ITN reporter and newscaster for two years, the New York City correspondent of Lord Beaverbrook's The Sunday Express, and then worked for nearly twenty years on The Times; five as its chief reporter, and latterly as a Middle East and Far East specialist. In the 1950s, he edited the West African news magazine Drum, sister paper to the South African Drum. Before entering Fleet Street, he served as a subaltern in the King's African Rifles in 1949 – in the same battalion as Lance-Corporal Idi Amin, later to emerge as a Ugandan tyrant.
Hopkirk travelled widely over many years in the regions where his six books are set – Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and eastern Turkey.
He sought a life in dangerous situations as a journalist, being sent to Algeria to cover the revolutionary crisis in the French colonial administration. Inspired by Maclean's Eastern Approaches he began to think about the Far East. During the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961 he was based in New York covering the events for the Express. No stranger to misadventure, Hopkirk was twice arrested and held in secret police cells, once in Cuba, where he was accused of spying for the US Government. His contacts in Mexico obtained his release. In the Middle East, he was hijacked by Arab terrorists in Beirut, which led to his expulsion. The PLO hijacked his plane, a KLM jet bound for Amsterdam at the height of the economic oil crises in 1974. Hopkirk confronted them and persuaded the armed gang to surrender their weapons.
His works have been officially translated into fourteen languages, and unofficial versions in local languages are apt to appear in the bazaars of Central Asia. In 1999, he was awarded the Sir Percy Sykes Memorial Medal for his writing and travels by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.[3] much of his research came from the India Office archives, British Library, St Pancras.
Hopkirk's wife Kathleen Partridge wrote A Traveller's Companion to Central Asia, published by John Murray in 1994 (ISBN 0-7195-5016-5).
Hopkirk died on 22 August 2014 at the age of 83.
Before turning full-time author, he was an ITN reporter and newscaster for two years, the New York City correspondent of Lord Beaverbrook's The Sunday Express, and then worked for nearly twenty years on The Times; five as its chief reporter, and latterly as a Middle East and Far East specialist. In the 1950s, he edited the West African news magazine Drum, sister paper to the South African Drum. Before entering Fleet Street, he served as a subaltern in the King's African Rifles in 1949 – in the same battalion as Lance-Corporal Idi Amin, later to emerge as a Ugandan tyrant.
Hopkirk travelled widely over many years in the regions where his six books are set – Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and eastern Turkey.
He sought a life in dangerous situations as a journalist, being sent to Algeria to cover the revolutionary crisis in the French colonial administration. Inspired by Maclean's Eastern Approaches he began to think about the Far East. During the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961 he was based in New York covering the events for the Express. No stranger to misadventure, Hopkirk was twice arrested and held in secret police cells, once in Cuba, where he was accused of spying for the US Government. His contacts in Mexico obtained his release. In the Middle East, he was hijacked by Arab terrorists in Beirut, which led to his expulsion. The PLO hijacked his plane, a KLM jet bound for Amsterdam at the height of the economic oil crises in 1974. Hopkirk confronted them and persuaded the armed gang to surrender their weapons.
His works have been officially translated into fourteen languages, and unofficial versions in local languages are apt to appear in the bazaars of Central Asia. In 1999, he was awarded the Sir Percy Sykes Memorial Medal for his writing and travels by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.[3] much of his research came from the India Office archives, British Library, St Pancras.
Hopkirk's wife Kathleen Partridge wrote A Traveller's Companion to Central Asia, published by John Murray in 1994 (ISBN 0-7195-5016-5).
Hopkirk died on 22 August 2014 at the age of 83.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 5, 2024
To say that Peter Hopkirk is a megafan of Kipling’s ‘Kim’ would be a understatement. He’d been reading it every year since thirteen and his admiration for the book is seemingly endless. I love the book too, as many millions across the world do. At times Hopkirk’s writing is fawning praise with little critical analysis; by critical it could be both positive or negative commentary. This was his swan song and a sweet one too. But to exclaim breathlessly “The book is great, you have to read the book!” can become tiresome. He reminds us of his unending research at the British Library, the Foreign Service archives and beyond. I can’t complain too much as he’s a favorite author and I enjoyed this one as well.
Hopkirk goes deeply into the individual characters in ‘Kim’ trying to ascertain who they were based on. For the most part he is convincing. Kipling used contemporary people to populate his fiction. There was no established secret service at the time but there were government branches involved in the Great Game. He was ahead of his time when the book was written and knew some of the spies, who were called pundits. Kim himself is likely the truly fictional character in the story, often thought to represent Kipling’s wish to have stayed in India rather than being sent to a boy’s school at age 5. He had a miserable time until his return to Bombay at age 17. The Kipling Society and other groups study it.
Hopkirk knows the territory of Kim and has traveled not only in India but across Central Asia and wrote about the parts of history that are not widely written about, or at least not as well as he has done. In retracing the footsteps of Kim he visits places both familiar and unfamiliar, landmarks and back alleys, the Grand Trunk and Simla roads. He weaves his research into a free flowing style quite different from his other work and you can get a sense of who he was at this point of his life, a charming elderly gentleman. There is at times an element of British national pride evident but it is well tempered by his love for India, and of course Kim. All in all it is a very fond adieu from a dear old friend.
Hopkirk goes deeply into the individual characters in ‘Kim’ trying to ascertain who they were based on. For the most part he is convincing. Kipling used contemporary people to populate his fiction. There was no established secret service at the time but there were government branches involved in the Great Game. He was ahead of his time when the book was written and knew some of the spies, who were called pundits. Kim himself is likely the truly fictional character in the story, often thought to represent Kipling’s wish to have stayed in India rather than being sent to a boy’s school at age 5. He had a miserable time until his return to Bombay at age 17. The Kipling Society and other groups study it.
Hopkirk knows the territory of Kim and has traveled not only in India but across Central Asia and wrote about the parts of history that are not widely written about, or at least not as well as he has done. In retracing the footsteps of Kim he visits places both familiar and unfamiliar, landmarks and back alleys, the Grand Trunk and Simla roads. He weaves his research into a free flowing style quite different from his other work and you can get a sense of who he was at this point of his life, a charming elderly gentleman. There is at times an element of British national pride evident but it is well tempered by his love for India, and of course Kim. All in all it is a very fond adieu from a dear old friend.
December 6, 2025
You are probably not going to read this book if you aren’t already a fan of Kipling’ Kim. The biggest fan has to be Peter Hopkirk, the author of this quest. He admits at the beginning to having loved Kim since childhood.
I’ve tried posting three times and am giving up.
I’ve tried posting three times and am giving up.
April 11, 2023
Some suggest you ought be a fan of Kipling's Kim to enjoy this, I'm a Kim fan and really did enjoy this.
I might be a bit dim: I never picked up on the belief that Kim is based on 'real-life' characters and the journey, the scenes, the buildings, the bazaars, all that makes 'Kim' such an interesting read, is basically true-to-life.
Viewing Kim's journey, through the eyes of Peter Hopkirk was 'brilly-squilly'.
I might be a bit dim: I never picked up on the belief that Kim is based on 'real-life' characters and the journey, the scenes, the buildings, the bazaars, all that makes 'Kim' such an interesting read, is basically true-to-life.
Viewing Kim's journey, through the eyes of Peter Hopkirk was 'brilly-squilly'.
August 4, 2017
This is obviously a very personal (and a bit of a vanity) project for Hopkirk, and as such is not up the same high standards as the other books in his Central Asia series, (beginning with Foreign Devils on the Silk Road in 1980, through Like Hidden Fire in 1995). However, if you're a Kipling fan, you should enjoy this well-researched book about Hopkirk's attempts to recreate Kim's adventures in today's world. And where else are you going to find a book mentioning a real-life character named Mountstuart Elphinstone?
I can't imagine anyone stumbling onto this book who hasn't read Hopkirks' other works, but for anyone who hasn't already read some or all of his Central Asia books I cannot recommend them highly enough -- they are true delights. Each book describes a fascinating and distinct aspect of that regions 20th century history, made all the more interesting by his focus on the always colorful characters involved. It was through several of his books that my own interest in the region was piqued, and they introduced me to a number of famous characters I have since gone on to read more on, either in other biographies or in their own writings -- including Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin (Silk Road), and the fascinating Francis Younghusband (Trespassers on the Roof of the World), whose own books (particularly Heart of a Continent and India and Tibet) are also classics of 20th century exploration.
I can't imagine anyone stumbling onto this book who hasn't read Hopkirks' other works, but for anyone who hasn't already read some or all of his Central Asia books I cannot recommend them highly enough -- they are true delights. Each book describes a fascinating and distinct aspect of that regions 20th century history, made all the more interesting by his focus on the always colorful characters involved. It was through several of his books that my own interest in the region was piqued, and they introduced me to a number of famous characters I have since gone on to read more on, either in other biographies or in their own writings -- including Aurel Stein and Sven Hedin (Silk Road), and the fascinating Francis Younghusband (Trespassers on the Roof of the World), whose own books (particularly Heart of a Continent and India and Tibet) are also classics of 20th century exploration.
July 16, 2017
Best for fans of the Novel, otherwise not as good as Hopkirk as a historian
Paperback edition of The Quest for Kim by Peter Hopkirk is an easy read but not up to his standard. Author and Historian Peter Hopkirk is one of the best resources for topics related to the Great Game. In the Quest for Kim he steps away from being a historian of the British Raj and indulges his passion for the eponymous novel. His assumption is that you share his opinion of Kim and his interest in identifying the original people and places that inspired Kipling. This is a rewarding read for fans of Kim (Illustrated edition) less so for fans of Rudyard Kipling and at best a maybe for a traveler into India and or Pakistan looking for a unique travel guide or vacation theme. Much of this border area is not safe such that Hopkirk could not follow his original travel plans.
Professor Hopkirk is attempting to honor a favorite book. His original goal was to retrace the route of the fictional character and while doing so to revel the historic people behind the characters and tell us where to go to find the specific locations mentioned in the novel.
Some of these goals are fairly easy. Citing two examples from early in the book, Kipling’s father was the curator of the museum in Lahore where the book opens. After this obvious identification, Hopkirk uses his scholarship and his luck to determine that the modern location for the Wonder House is not the same as the one known to Kipling via his father. Later identifications will prove impossible or left to conjecture.
In between there is a lot of ruminations on the slaughter that accompanied the independence of India from the British and the concurrent partition of the colony into the nations of India and Pakistan. When not discussion this bloody period and the continuing suspicions and violence between these neighbors, Hopkirk distracts us with his over enthusiasm for this novel.
The result is a book with fewer and lessor discoveries than might be expected and too much insistence that the Kipling novel is better than it is. The reader does get some interesting ideas for a tour of lessor known tourist destinations in the sub-continent, and some warnings about where it remains unsafe.
Paperback edition of The Quest for Kim by Peter Hopkirk is an easy read but not up to his standard. Author and Historian Peter Hopkirk is one of the best resources for topics related to the Great Game. In the Quest for Kim he steps away from being a historian of the British Raj and indulges his passion for the eponymous novel. His assumption is that you share his opinion of Kim and his interest in identifying the original people and places that inspired Kipling. This is a rewarding read for fans of Kim (Illustrated edition) less so for fans of Rudyard Kipling and at best a maybe for a traveler into India and or Pakistan looking for a unique travel guide or vacation theme. Much of this border area is not safe such that Hopkirk could not follow his original travel plans.
Professor Hopkirk is attempting to honor a favorite book. His original goal was to retrace the route of the fictional character and while doing so to revel the historic people behind the characters and tell us where to go to find the specific locations mentioned in the novel.
Some of these goals are fairly easy. Citing two examples from early in the book, Kipling’s father was the curator of the museum in Lahore where the book opens. After this obvious identification, Hopkirk uses his scholarship and his luck to determine that the modern location for the Wonder House is not the same as the one known to Kipling via his father. Later identifications will prove impossible or left to conjecture.
In between there is a lot of ruminations on the slaughter that accompanied the independence of India from the British and the concurrent partition of the colony into the nations of India and Pakistan. When not discussion this bloody period and the continuing suspicions and violence between these neighbors, Hopkirk distracts us with his over enthusiasm for this novel.
The result is a book with fewer and lessor discoveries than might be expected and too much insistence that the Kipling novel is better than it is. The reader does get some interesting ideas for a tour of lessor known tourist destinations in the sub-continent, and some warnings about where it remains unsafe.
February 14, 2013
Readers of Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game will already know the pleasures of his prose. I'm slowly making way through all his books, but it was The Great Game that alerted me to Kipling's Kim – definitely one of my favorite books this year. I can't believe I waited so long to read it.
Hopkin's companion to Kim should be read alongside, or better, a bit behind Kipling's novel. It would be a shame to spoil the plot in advance, but even the most attentive reader will be left wondering about certain facts of geography and political history. Hopkirk followed the path of Kim and his lama, and employed his scholarly arts to ferret out the identities of the novel's primary characters. Quest for Kim is a serendipitous work of affection. Anyone who loves Kim will be grateful for Hopkirk's gentle obsession.
Hopkin's companion to Kim should be read alongside, or better, a bit behind Kipling's novel. It would be a shame to spoil the plot in advance, but even the most attentive reader will be left wondering about certain facts of geography and political history. Hopkirk followed the path of Kim and his lama, and employed his scholarly arts to ferret out the identities of the novel's primary characters. Quest for Kim is a serendipitous work of affection. Anyone who loves Kim will be grateful for Hopkirk's gentle obsession.
June 10, 2007
Quest for Kim I received through the now defunct relay site. As I have enjoyed every Kipling book, story and poem that I've read but hadn't read Kim, I though this book would be good inspiration to get me reading Kim. Having finished Kim earlier this year I decided to read Peter Hopkirk's follow up to the book while the novel was still fresh in my head.
Hopkirk comes across through his written as the biggest fan of Kim ever. He gushes his enthusiasm and love of Kipling's novel throughout his chapters. Happily he includes illustrations of the places and items he is describing, helping to bring alive his account of his travels through Pakistan and India and his research at home in England.
My favorite chapter in both Kim and Quest for Kim is account of riding the Te-rain. In Kim's case, it is a noisy and crowded adventure whereas in Hopkirk's time it is an amusing and sometimes bewildering exercise in futility. The on-going boarder war between Pakistan and India has made the old line impossible to ride save for one very guarded weekly express train. After Hopkirk describes his impossible quest to ride the route described in Kim he goes onto outline the bloodshed that happened on this train line during the partition in August 1947.
Hopkirk gives a chapter for each major even in Kim, even if he is unable to find through research definitive answers to a location's whereabouts or history. In the chapters where his research draws a blank he pads the chapters with plot synopsis. In all fairness, he does warn early on that he had to force himself to just reiterate Kipling's book even though he was tempted out of his love for the book. As this book reads more like a personal question than a scholarly analysis these momentary lapses into plot summary are forgivable.
Hopkirk comes across through his written as the biggest fan of Kim ever. He gushes his enthusiasm and love of Kipling's novel throughout his chapters. Happily he includes illustrations of the places and items he is describing, helping to bring alive his account of his travels through Pakistan and India and his research at home in England.
My favorite chapter in both Kim and Quest for Kim is account of riding the Te-rain. In Kim's case, it is a noisy and crowded adventure whereas in Hopkirk's time it is an amusing and sometimes bewildering exercise in futility. The on-going boarder war between Pakistan and India has made the old line impossible to ride save for one very guarded weekly express train. After Hopkirk describes his impossible quest to ride the route described in Kim he goes onto outline the bloodshed that happened on this train line during the partition in August 1947.
Hopkirk gives a chapter for each major even in Kim, even if he is unable to find through research definitive answers to a location's whereabouts or history. In the chapters where his research draws a blank he pads the chapters with plot synopsis. In all fairness, he does warn early on that he had to force himself to just reiterate Kipling's book even though he was tempted out of his love for the book. As this book reads more like a personal question than a scholarly analysis these momentary lapses into plot summary are forgivable.
April 3, 2022
Quest for Kim - Peter Hopkirk.
Rating - 4.25/5
This book was my follow-up read post Kim by Rudyard Kipling. If I had felt that Kim had left me embarrassed because of various reasons, this book put me into much larger embarrassment having missed sufficiently appreciating Kim and the vivid and rich sentences and descriptions of Kipling. But I console myself now, having sufficient gusto to re-read Kim in future owing to Peter Hopkirk.
The writing is super simple. It feels the author is talking to you, narrating his tale (journey and research) in simple terms. This book is essentially classified as a travel book, re-tracing the journey which Kim and Lama took in search of the Sacred River.
Peter tries to go to specific places mentioned in the book, tries to figure out if they are real or imaginary or if imaginary is there a real world similar one somewhere around. Same applies to people and house or locations which or who come across in Kim.
Starting from Lahore all the way to Saharanpore book traces multitude of places and also multitude of people. Curator of Ajaib Ghar, Kim, Lama, Sahiba from Kullu, Creighton, Lurgan Sahib, Mahbub Ali, Huree Chunder Mookerjee.
Peter discloses their real life personalities or people who came closer to them. For example Huree was modelled after Babu Sarat Chandra Das who went to Tibet couple of times. Peter ends up admiring inch by inch of Kipling's thought process which I say, was very much an eye opener for me too.
The book along with being a travel book turns out to be a Peter's research book too. Much information has also been provided on the Secret Game. Britain-France-Russia rivalry, threat what the empire could have faced and faced, from whom, have all been highlighted.
It was nothing short of a delightful read and a wonderful journey all along the way.
Rating - 4.25/5
This book was my follow-up read post Kim by Rudyard Kipling. If I had felt that Kim had left me embarrassed because of various reasons, this book put me into much larger embarrassment having missed sufficiently appreciating Kim and the vivid and rich sentences and descriptions of Kipling. But I console myself now, having sufficient gusto to re-read Kim in future owing to Peter Hopkirk.
The writing is super simple. It feels the author is talking to you, narrating his tale (journey and research) in simple terms. This book is essentially classified as a travel book, re-tracing the journey which Kim and Lama took in search of the Sacred River.
Peter tries to go to specific places mentioned in the book, tries to figure out if they are real or imaginary or if imaginary is there a real world similar one somewhere around. Same applies to people and house or locations which or who come across in Kim.
Starting from Lahore all the way to Saharanpore book traces multitude of places and also multitude of people. Curator of Ajaib Ghar, Kim, Lama, Sahiba from Kullu, Creighton, Lurgan Sahib, Mahbub Ali, Huree Chunder Mookerjee.
Peter discloses their real life personalities or people who came closer to them. For example Huree was modelled after Babu Sarat Chandra Das who went to Tibet couple of times. Peter ends up admiring inch by inch of Kipling's thought process which I say, was very much an eye opener for me too.
The book along with being a travel book turns out to be a Peter's research book too. Much information has also been provided on the Secret Game. Britain-France-Russia rivalry, threat what the empire could have faced and faced, from whom, have all been highlighted.
It was nothing short of a delightful read and a wonderful journey all along the way.
June 18, 2019
I loved Peter Hopkirk’s The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia and really liked Like Hidden Fire: The Plot to Bring Down the British Empire. I am also a fan of Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, so I had high hopes for this book.
Unfortunately, this book isn’t nearly as good as Hopkirk’s sweeping histories of Central Asia. Far too much space is devoted to non-events that amount to “I went looking for this person or that location, but I had only allocated two days in Pakistan to the task and I didn’t find anything in that time, so I went home”. Compounding the problem is that much of the focus of such an account in on the author, rather than the purported subjects.
This book was written in 1997, late in Hopkirk’s career (he was 67), and after he had written 5 histories of Central Asia from 1980 to 1994. Perhaps he had exhausted his better material, perhaps he was cashing in on an established audience, perhaps he was just going through the motions because had a book contract to fulfill. In any case, this book isn’t up to his previous standards and he does not appear to have written any subsequent books without a coauthor until his death in 2014.
I still intend to read the three Hopkirk Central Asian histories that I have not yet read. The two that I have read were so good that I can overlook this disappointment.
Unfortunately, this book isn’t nearly as good as Hopkirk’s sweeping histories of Central Asia. Far too much space is devoted to non-events that amount to “I went looking for this person or that location, but I had only allocated two days in Pakistan to the task and I didn’t find anything in that time, so I went home”. Compounding the problem is that much of the focus of such an account in on the author, rather than the purported subjects.
This book was written in 1997, late in Hopkirk’s career (he was 67), and after he had written 5 histories of Central Asia from 1980 to 1994. Perhaps he had exhausted his better material, perhaps he was cashing in on an established audience, perhaps he was just going through the motions because had a book contract to fulfill. In any case, this book isn’t up to his previous standards and he does not appear to have written any subsequent books without a coauthor until his death in 2014.
I still intend to read the three Hopkirk Central Asian histories that I have not yet read. The two that I have read were so good that I can overlook this disappointment.
June 20, 2013
"Quest for Kim" is Peter Hopkirk's ode to Rudyard Kipling's masterpiece, "Kim", but it is much more than that. "Quest for Kim" is also a love letter to India, a land of mystery and intrigue, a land capable of producing a wide range of diverse characters both Anglo and Indian, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh. A land of strange customs and complex social rules that can bewilder the outsider for their unspeakable cruelty, yet can also produce spiritual giants like Mahatma Gandhi and statesmen like Nehru.
In "Quest for Kim", Hopkirk goes on a physical as well as a spiritual journey to all the locations where key scenes took place. In his journey, Hopkirk hopes to recreate Kim's journey on a personal level, and answer some of the questions about who the characters were based on. In the hands of a lesser writer, this story would lack the incredible depth and substance with which Hopkirk has infused it. Incredibly, Hopkirk brings Kipling's India alive, even running into characters along the way who might have been sent by central casting. The reader is transported right alongside Hopkirk, and experiences a little bit of old India in the process. For any reader who is fascinated by "Kim", Hopkirk will shed light on the colorful characters, the settings, and the geo-political situation that was occurring during the time of the story--the Great Game--essential for understanding the complex shenanigans behind the plot of the novel. Above all, "Quest for Kim" is a fitting tribute to the work itself, and the man behind the work, and the land behind the man who was behind the work.
In "Quest for Kim", Hopkirk goes on a physical as well as a spiritual journey to all the locations where key scenes took place. In his journey, Hopkirk hopes to recreate Kim's journey on a personal level, and answer some of the questions about who the characters were based on. In the hands of a lesser writer, this story would lack the incredible depth and substance with which Hopkirk has infused it. Incredibly, Hopkirk brings Kipling's India alive, even running into characters along the way who might have been sent by central casting. The reader is transported right alongside Hopkirk, and experiences a little bit of old India in the process. For any reader who is fascinated by "Kim", Hopkirk will shed light on the colorful characters, the settings, and the geo-political situation that was occurring during the time of the story--the Great Game--essential for understanding the complex shenanigans behind the plot of the novel. Above all, "Quest for Kim" is a fitting tribute to the work itself, and the man behind the work, and the land behind the man who was behind the work.
August 18, 2023
A quaffable book made all the more enjoyable by reading it while in India. Makes me want to re-read Kim.
Want to read
September 13, 2009Kim was one of those really really hard books I tried to read as a teenager, and unlike 'Zen and the Art of MM', I never succeeded. It was simply too densely packed and had too much unknown vocabulary, and a whole flavor and set of contexts I was unfamiliar with. Now I know a bit more about India, and tried to recently skim it a little, and am instead (and/or again) annoyed by his attitude, the way I perceive it anyway.
This book looks like it could be the perfect thing for me! Someone saying, ok Claire, in this Chapter, he's talking about this part of India, and this or that happening, and this is what he's referring to here. Sounds excellent!
With this I would read it once, then read it again with Kim (probably in short bits), just to gain that awareness (even though lots of it bothers me). And go on with my life accordingly..
This book looks like it could be the perfect thing for me! Someone saying, ok Claire, in this Chapter, he's talking about this part of India, and this or that happening, and this is what he's referring to here. Sounds excellent!
With this I would read it once, then read it again with Kim (probably in short bits), just to gain that awareness (even though lots of it bothers me). And go on with my life accordingly..
April 2, 2024
I read it a few months after reading Kim originally, which I initially thought was a bit hard to interpret and a bit of a slog to get through in all honesty after the first time reading it, mostly just due to the writing style making it difficult to understand events.
But after reading this, it not only made the plot of Kim easier to piece together but also made me appreciate it a bit more and want to reread the novel.
It’s basically a love letter to Kim, having read ‘The Great Game’, Kim clearly inspired a lot of Hopkirks other books which I want to read someday. Part travel story, part history lesson, part explanation of Kipling and his works - it’s very easy to read and very well written following the novel from start to finish, and I couldn’t really put it down.
Might not be as good if you haven’t read Kim but all the same, a terrific book and would definitely recommend it.
But after reading this, it not only made the plot of Kim easier to piece together but also made me appreciate it a bit more and want to reread the novel.
It’s basically a love letter to Kim, having read ‘The Great Game’, Kim clearly inspired a lot of Hopkirks other books which I want to read someday. Part travel story, part history lesson, part explanation of Kipling and his works - it’s very easy to read and very well written following the novel from start to finish, and I couldn’t really put it down.
Might not be as good if you haven’t read Kim but all the same, a terrific book and would definitely recommend it.
March 12, 2023
Homenaje que Hopkirk le hizo a su libro favorito. Se trata de una suerte de guía de viaje a través de los lugares por los que transita la historia de Kipling. Lectura agradable que ayuda a entender mejor el tema preferido de Peter Hopkirk: el Gran Juego, también llamado Guerra Fría Victoriana, que se libró entre el s. XIX y comienzos del XX entre los imperios británico y ruso. (Documentación)
April 19, 2021
Rudyard Kipling's "Kim" enchanted my childhood and teenage years and I enjoyed reading some of Peter Hopkirk's other books, so I was not going to pass on this one. I was surprised to discover that Kipling's novel is much closer to real events than I imagined and that most characters were inspired by real people. Hopkirk is clearly in love with his subject and quite frankly if you do not share his passion this book probably isn't for you. Strangely enough perhaps, the parts of the book that made the strongest impression on me deal with the horrors of Partition upon which Hopkirk stumbles in his quest to replicate Kim's travels. The violent separation of India and Pakistan instantly unmade that part of colonial India least offensive to modern sensibilities, the multi-ethnic and religiously diverse world that gives "Kim" much of its flavour. Hopkirk only superficially engages with Kipling's staunch defence of British imperialism (except for a few quotes of the most absurd criticisms that were levelled against his work) and racial attitudes. It's a pity because it's a topic that could do with some sensitive analysis to ensure that Kipling does not get lost to modern readers. Strongly recommended to any reader who loves "Kim"!
May 16, 2014
There are two writers at work here: there is Peter Hopkirk, author of many splendid travel books about central asia and the Great Game; and there is Peter Hopkirk, lifelong devotee of Rudyard Kipling's Kim
Here he dovetails the two enthusiasms, guiding the reader through the basic narrative of the novel while himself following the path taken by Kim. His quest is to find not only the young sahib in turn of theCentury India, but also to identify the actual places and people who inspired Kipling.
Hpkirk's passion will grip the reader and his practised eye for a diversionary tale - sample the regulations governing dogs on India's trains - keeps the subject fresh and alive.
Maybe fully paid-up members of Kipling Societies will want to award the fifth star but this rnon-specialist reader simply enjoyed being a fellow traveller for 300 pages.
Here he dovetails the two enthusiasms, guiding the reader through the basic narrative of the novel while himself following the path taken by Kim. His quest is to find not only the young sahib in turn of theCentury India, but also to identify the actual places and people who inspired Kipling.
Hpkirk's passion will grip the reader and his practised eye for a diversionary tale - sample the regulations governing dogs on India's trains - keeps the subject fresh and alive.
Maybe fully paid-up members of Kipling Societies will want to award the fifth star but this rnon-specialist reader simply enjoyed being a fellow traveller for 300 pages.
September 18, 2013
I'm almost as big a fan as Hopkirk as I am of Kipling, and this exploration of the wonderful novel Kim by a masterful journalist and avid chronicler of the Great Game (when Russia and Britain vied for power in South Asia, during the British Colonial period) is a wicked charming travelogue concerning a romantic period of history (and, yes, I get for the Indian and Pakistanis that there was a lot of nasty business as well - ever a humanist, Hopkirk does his best to address this). For anybody who defines Kipling by "White Man's Burden" or whom has a passing interest in Indian colonial history, and for anybody who fell in love with Kim -- the character and the book -- this is a must read.
October 7, 2014
I first read KIM as a child and was fascinated by the adventure and the colorful life of British India. I have reread it many times since and it has never lost its allure. Hopkirk seems to have had a similar fascination with the book, the time, the history of the British Empire, and all that went with it. In tracing the models for the characters in KIM, he tells his own story of involvement with Asian affairs and the Great Game. Hopkirk has written many wonderful books of history covering these areas, and now we can see where his great love and interest in all of it came from. I love this book as much as I love KIM.
September 23, 2020
After reading Kiplings "KIM", I found Quest For Kim at the local library and immediately checked it out.
This book will lead the curious reader to many other books that are somewhat inter-connected with KIM..read on, enjoy and learn...:-)
Little did I know how addicting Peter Hopkirks wonderful books soon became to me! This author knows the subject[s] and when I read Peter, well, it's like I'm there, part of the adventure.
RIP Peter Hopkirk, I've read all of your books and they've sent me to other books that Peter mentioned in various books,etc.
The journey for learning never ends, thanks again Peter!
This book will lead the curious reader to many other books that are somewhat inter-connected with KIM..read on, enjoy and learn...:-)
Little did I know how addicting Peter Hopkirks wonderful books soon became to me! This author knows the subject[s] and when I read Peter, well, it's like I'm there, part of the adventure.
RIP Peter Hopkirk, I've read all of your books and they've sent me to other books that Peter mentioned in various books,etc.
The journey for learning never ends, thanks again Peter!
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June 7, 2010"...the India that [Kipling] portrays in Kim is painted in the rosiest of colours, and much of the book's extraordinary power, which makes us want to rush off to India, is due to this unbridled euphoria." p. 226
"For today 'the new Great Game', as the political analysts and headline-writers have christened it, is being played from one end of the map of Asia to the other. Colonel Creighton, peering down from the Valhalla of the Great Game, would have no difficulty in recognizing today's rivalries in the region as merely a continuation of the old ones." p. 269
"For today 'the new Great Game', as the political analysts and headline-writers have christened it, is being played from one end of the map of Asia to the other. Colonel Creighton, peering down from the Valhalla of the Great Game, would have no difficulty in recognizing today's rivalries in the region as merely a continuation of the old ones." p. 269
February 28, 2013
A great tale, anyone could read it and be motivated to find Kipling's Kim in the library... Judy, I found it on the shelf after you left, sorry about that.
Funnily enough, I haven't re-read Kim, but this book has made me think about the Lama and his role - as Hopkirk suggests, Kipling may indeed have meant him as the real hero. Also, wondering about the sequel, I feel sure that Kim kept faith and did accompany him on his journey back to Tibet!
Funnily enough, I haven't re-read Kim, but this book has made me think about the Lama and his role - as Hopkirk suggests, Kipling may indeed have meant him as the real hero. Also, wondering about the sequel, I feel sure that Kim kept faith and did accompany him on his journey back to Tibet!
September 18, 2019
The second time I read Peter Hopkirk's Quest for Kim just recently I was reminded why I had given it 5 stars here on Goodreads first time around. I didn't write a review then, but I will now. I love this book - a combination of history, detective story and personal pilgrimage to the landscape Kipling describes in his masterpiece. Having read most of Hopkirk's other non-fiction books on The Great Game and been fascinated by this largely forgotten (or unknown - in Australia) period of history, Kim has always interested me as a window on the region and the time when there was still tension between the respective nations. Of course Kipling's view comes from his position of privilege as an Englishman in the time of the British Raj. Hopkirk is not blind to this, and places Kipling's words and his characters' behaviors and attitudes in that context. But it doesn't stop many readers from enjoying Kim, which, I admit, I came to appreciate via the film starring Dean Stockwell and Errol Flynn. But the film was merely an introduction to the wider world of the real Great Game, as well as to much else in Kipling's novel that could not be fitted into the film (or which was changed for dramatic impact). Quest for Kim is a book that transports the reader, not just to the landscapes that Hopkirk meets on his travels in Kim's footsteps, but to the land-and time - scapes of Kim's world. This is a type of book I truly love, and one of the better examples of a 'quest/in search of' travel narrative. I will be reading it again, but for now, I am prompted to re-visit Hopkirk's historical texts on the history and intrigue of The Great Game.
May 18, 2025
I loved Kim so much that I didn’t want to lave that fictional world too soon, and started this as soon as I finished that. This is an excellent companion piece to Kim. This was one of Peter Hopkirk’s favourite books, and he decided to try to not just research the cast of characters, but also all the places mentioned. While he doesn’t go as far into the hills as Kim and the Lama do, that would be quite impossible to achieve, his writing of the places he visits is very interesting, and it gives you quite a lot of background on the Great Game, and the importance places like Shimla and Lahore played to it. I liked his chapter in Lahore and his description of the station as having been built to double up as a fortress if required, memories of the 1857 revolt being very fresh when it was constructed. I liked his writing about the lives of the inspirations for Colonel Creighton and the intrepid Hurree Babu, and I’m glad to know Sarat Chandra Das did get recognition from the RGS, though not from the Royal Society! It’s a very good companion piece to a great book.
April 19, 2024
As a life-long devotee of Kim (which is saying something at 77), I had reached for this book with a yawn and not much hope of learning anything new. I was so very wrong.
Quest for Kim brought a depth and breadth of understanding and perspective that enriched my love of Kipling’s masterpiece and a renewed urge to once again dive into my favorite novel.
Insights into the period, the land and the people inhabiting Kim’s world filled every page. Characters I was sure I had already deeply known were given even more depth, more importance and were steeped in the true nature of the Raj like never before.
I am about to embark on my umpteenth reading of Kim, armed with these new insights and richer understandings granted by The Quest. I can’t wait.
Quest for Kim brought a depth and breadth of understanding and perspective that enriched my love of Kipling’s masterpiece and a renewed urge to once again dive into my favorite novel.
Insights into the period, the land and the people inhabiting Kim’s world filled every page. Characters I was sure I had already deeply known were given even more depth, more importance and were steeped in the true nature of the Raj like never before.
I am about to embark on my umpteenth reading of Kim, armed with these new insights and richer understandings granted by The Quest. I can’t wait.
October 9, 2017
Hopkirk rarely manages to find anything of true relevance to link Kipling's story to real-life India, forcing him mostly into supposition more frequently than not. Much of his effort meets a dead end and there's always an air of frustration that he could have dug a little deeper than he did on many occasions. But ultimately, trying to find hard evidence of people and places that inspired a work of fiction means that this quest for Kim proves to be as elusive and misleading as that for the River of the Arrow and far less riveting.
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January 2, 2022Never ask a question you don't really want to know the answer to
That it is at times overly speculative is the only hard criticism I can offer on Hopkirk's work. It is otherwise deep and enjoyable, yet somehow unsatisfying. Perhaps the weaknesses are inevitable given the task: that of following a work of fiction. But the finest delight of this book comes from sharing a love for Kipling's _Kim_. Kim lovers will rejoice. Others may enjoy a unique glimpse at these parts of India. Still others, who have yet to encounter Kipling's work, may find here a joyous introduction.
That it is at times overly speculative is the only hard criticism I can offer on Hopkirk's work. It is otherwise deep and enjoyable, yet somehow unsatisfying. Perhaps the weaknesses are inevitable given the task: that of following a work of fiction. But the finest delight of this book comes from sharing a love for Kipling's _Kim_. Kim lovers will rejoice. Others may enjoy a unique glimpse at these parts of India. Still others, who have yet to encounter Kipling's work, may find here a joyous introduction.
May 1, 2022
A snappy literary traipse through India and how much of Kim’s locales and characters are likely founded in reality.
There was unfortunately a lot of recounting of the story and not a lot of adventuring, at least not as much as I’d hoped. However, it’s definitely put a few locations on the To-Go list in India and, hopefully one day, Pakistan.
Always love the way Peter Hopkirk writes, and so far perhaps this is his is weakest - but a weak Hopkirk is already a league above most others.
7.5/10
There was unfortunately a lot of recounting of the story and not a lot of adventuring, at least not as much as I’d hoped. However, it’s definitely put a few locations on the To-Go list in India and, hopefully one day, Pakistan.
Always love the way Peter Hopkirk writes, and so far perhaps this is his is weakest - but a weak Hopkirk is already a league above most others.
7.5/10
October 23, 2023
Well structured. If you like detail, you'll love this. If you don't like detail, you may still want to skim it if you enjoyed Kipling's Kim. Also excellent for those who find the history (1800-present) and culture of India of interest. And reads easily.
I've only read Kim once (so far!). I "understood" it... but I understood it BETTER for reading Hopkirk's book.
Perhaps best to read Kipling before reading Hopkirk, but he does a pretty good job of not spoiling the story if you want to do it the other way around.
I've only read Kim once (so far!). I "understood" it... but I understood it BETTER for reading Hopkirk's book.
Perhaps best to read Kipling before reading Hopkirk, but he does a pretty good job of not spoiling the story if you want to do it the other way around.
February 9, 2019
My interest in the history of the Silk Road led me to discovering Peter Hopkirk. Through having previously read The Great Game and a documentary hosted by Rory Stewart I was led to Rudyard Kipling’s novel ‘Kim’ of which the term ‘The Great Game’ was coined.
In this book Hopkirk attempts to retrace the steps of the orphan Kim through what was at the time British India through into Tibet. Ideally though you should read Kim first since it is heavily referenced
In this book Hopkirk attempts to retrace the steps of the orphan Kim through what was at the time British India through into Tibet. Ideally though you should read Kim first since it is heavily referenced
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2019
It is beautifully written and absolutely charming. While not a member of the Kipling Society, his books have given me great enjoyment over the years. I have always known that Kipling could not have written Kim if he did not love India and it's people. A wonderful companion book to Kim.
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