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The Rabbits
The adventures of a group of friends, pre-war, with far too much time on their hands.
The Rabbits, as they call themselves, are Archie Mannering, his sister Myra, Samuel Simpson, Thomas of the Admiralty, Dahlia Blair and the narrator, with occasional guests. Their conversation is almost entirely frivolous, their activity vacillates between immensely energetic and happily lazy, and their social mores are surprisingly progressive.
Originally published as sketches in Punch, the Rabbits’ escapades are a charming portrait of middle-class antics on the brink of being shattered by World War I, and fail entirely to take themselves seriously.
So here they all are. Whatever their crimes, they assure you that they won’t do it again – A. A. Milne
The Rabbits, as they call themselves, are Archie Mannering, his sister Myra, Samuel Simpson, Thomas of the Admiralty, Dahlia Blair and the narrator, with occasional guests. Their conversation is almost entirely frivolous, their activity vacillates between immensely energetic and happily lazy, and their social mores are surprisingly progressive.
Originally published as sketches in Punch, the Rabbits’ escapades are a charming portrait of middle-class antics on the brink of being shattered by World War I, and fail entirely to take themselves seriously.
So here they all are. Whatever their crimes, they assure you that they won’t do it again – A. A. Milne
235 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1910
2 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
A.A. Milne
1,835 books3,678 followersAlan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 3, 2024
I wasn't sure what I expected from this book, as I only think of A.A. Milne as Winnie the Pooh. The cover even had that Winnie the Pooh feel about it. We have a group of friends, Archie, his sister Myra, Samuel, Thomas, Dahlia and the narrator that really care about each other, and like spending time together The book is set pre World War 1. This book was first written as a series of sketches in Punch between 1909 and 1914. I read this as if it was short stories and found it an easy read, fun and entertaining throughout the pages, at times I felt I was there with them. I will be looking at reading more of A.A. Milne's books
September 24, 2025
Just about as unbearable as PG Wodehouse. As much "what, what, tally ho chaps", but without the narrative or any discernable intrigue.
April 5, 2024
Most writers welcome commercial success, film and TV tie-ins and celebrity. I can’t think that it has happened in my lifetime, but just occasionally, a writer has come close to cursing the character or series of books which made them famous. One such was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who came to hate his most inspired creation and had to be persuaded, after killing him off, to engineer a miraculous escape. Another was AA Milne. Winnie The Pooh has probably made even money – and continues to do so – than the great Consulting Detective, but the little bear and its owner Christoper Robin, became not just an irritant, but the cause of family strife and bitterness.
Like Conan Doyle, Milne wanted to be known for much more than creating a whimsical children’s character but, sadly, most of his other work is now largely forgotten or ignored. I, for one, am delighted that some of his work, originally published as sketches in Punch, has been revived by Farrago, which is an imprint of Duckworth Books. These pieces are, as you might imagine, relatively short, as befits something to be read in a weekly magazine. They are an account of the social life of a group of young people who call themselves The Rabbits. The group comprises Archie Mannering, his sister Myra, a chap only known as Thomas from The Admiralty, Dahlia Blair and the narrator himself. There is also a chap called Simpson (who writes for The Spectator) and ‘walk-on’ parts for various other characters.
What we have, is basically a group of twenty-somethings, each from an impeccable upper middle-class background, with time – and money – on their hands. The time span is from summer 1909 to the spring of 1914, and we follow ‘The Lop-Eared Ones’ as they and enjoy themselves in a villa between Mentone and Monte Carlo, play cricket, golf, and become involved in amateur dramatics:
“Thomas, I will be frank with you. I am no less a person then the Emperor Bong’s hereditary (it had been in the family for years) Grand Rat-catcher. The real rush, however, comes in the afternoon. My speciality is young ones.”
“I am his executioner!”
“And he has a conjurer too. What a staff!
Hail, good morning, Simpson. are you anything lofty?”
“I am the emperor bong” said Simpson gaily;
“I am beautiful clever and strong,
‘Tis my daily delight to carouse and to fight
And at moments I burst into song.”
They ski in Switzerland:
“It was a day of colour straight from heaven. On either side the dazzling whiteness of the snow; above, the deep blue of the skies; in front of me the glorious apricot of Simpson’s winter suiting. London seemed 100 years away. It was impossible to work up the least interest in the Home Rule Bill, the billiards tournament, or the state of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.”
Our narrator does his best to be interested in someone else’s baby:
“I turned and saw Archie.
“Yours, I believe”, I said, and I waved him to the cradle.
Archie bent down and tickled the baby’s chin, making appropriate noises – one of the things a father has to learn to do.
“Who do you think he’s like?”, he asked proudly.
“The late Mr Gladstone”, I said, after deep thought.”
Screen Shot 2024-03-15 at 17.59.38The humour is very gentle, and the mood is as light as a feather. The stories are more or less contemporary with early PG Wodehouse creations like Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and Psmith, but the humour is very different. Put it this way; I read Wodehouse and sometimes laugh out loud, while the doings of The Rabbits evoke more of a fond smile. Incidentally, later in their lives, relations between Milne (left) and Wodehouse were distinctly frosty. Milne was a genuine patriot. He served with The Royal Warwickshire Regiment on the Somme in 1916, and after a spell recuperating from trench fever he worked in military intelligence. During WW2 he served with The Home Guard, and it was during this period that he became one of the harshest critics of Wodehouse, who had been interned by the Nazis in France, but made a series of very controversial broadcasts.
It is worth spending a moment or two considering the nature of humour. Is cruelty essential? Near contemporaries of Milne were George and Weedon Grossmith. Their Diary of a Nobody is one of the funniest books ever written and, for page after page, we laugh (and, perhaps, sneer) at the pomposity and misfortunes of Mr Pooter; it is worth remembering though that, at the end, Pooter is acclaimed by his boss as one of the most decent and loyal employees he has ever had. Milne’s book has not a single ounce of cruelty in it; the foibles of Archie, Simpson and others are observed gently and with affection.
Edward VII died in May 1910, but his passing goes unmentioned by The Rabbits. It’s not that kind of book. We still have in our minds, though, the notion that the events of late August 1914, just four months after the last episode in this book, saw that last glorious summer left over from the Edwardian era as a golden light which was to be snuffed out by the horrors of The Great War. We know that Milne himself survived, but it is inevitable that many of the real young men typified in The Rabbits did not. Those celebrated four words of Philip Larkins have never sounded more appropriate – Never Such Innocence Again.
Like Conan Doyle, Milne wanted to be known for much more than creating a whimsical children’s character but, sadly, most of his other work is now largely forgotten or ignored. I, for one, am delighted that some of his work, originally published as sketches in Punch, has been revived by Farrago, which is an imprint of Duckworth Books. These pieces are, as you might imagine, relatively short, as befits something to be read in a weekly magazine. They are an account of the social life of a group of young people who call themselves The Rabbits. The group comprises Archie Mannering, his sister Myra, a chap only known as Thomas from The Admiralty, Dahlia Blair and the narrator himself. There is also a chap called Simpson (who writes for The Spectator) and ‘walk-on’ parts for various other characters.
What we have, is basically a group of twenty-somethings, each from an impeccable upper middle-class background, with time – and money – on their hands. The time span is from summer 1909 to the spring of 1914, and we follow ‘The Lop-Eared Ones’ as they and enjoy themselves in a villa between Mentone and Monte Carlo, play cricket, golf, and become involved in amateur dramatics:
“Thomas, I will be frank with you. I am no less a person then the Emperor Bong’s hereditary (it had been in the family for years) Grand Rat-catcher. The real rush, however, comes in the afternoon. My speciality is young ones.”
“I am his executioner!”
“And he has a conjurer too. What a staff!
Hail, good morning, Simpson. are you anything lofty?”
“I am the emperor bong” said Simpson gaily;
“I am beautiful clever and strong,
‘Tis my daily delight to carouse and to fight
And at moments I burst into song.”
They ski in Switzerland:
“It was a day of colour straight from heaven. On either side the dazzling whiteness of the snow; above, the deep blue of the skies; in front of me the glorious apricot of Simpson’s winter suiting. London seemed 100 years away. It was impossible to work up the least interest in the Home Rule Bill, the billiards tournament, or the state of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.”
Our narrator does his best to be interested in someone else’s baby:
“I turned and saw Archie.
“Yours, I believe”, I said, and I waved him to the cradle.
Archie bent down and tickled the baby’s chin, making appropriate noises – one of the things a father has to learn to do.
“Who do you think he’s like?”, he asked proudly.
“The late Mr Gladstone”, I said, after deep thought.”
Screen Shot 2024-03-15 at 17.59.38The humour is very gentle, and the mood is as light as a feather. The stories are more or less contemporary with early PG Wodehouse creations like Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and Psmith, but the humour is very different. Put it this way; I read Wodehouse and sometimes laugh out loud, while the doings of The Rabbits evoke more of a fond smile. Incidentally, later in their lives, relations between Milne (left) and Wodehouse were distinctly frosty. Milne was a genuine patriot. He served with The Royal Warwickshire Regiment on the Somme in 1916, and after a spell recuperating from trench fever he worked in military intelligence. During WW2 he served with The Home Guard, and it was during this period that he became one of the harshest critics of Wodehouse, who had been interned by the Nazis in France, but made a series of very controversial broadcasts.
It is worth spending a moment or two considering the nature of humour. Is cruelty essential? Near contemporaries of Milne were George and Weedon Grossmith. Their Diary of a Nobody is one of the funniest books ever written and, for page after page, we laugh (and, perhaps, sneer) at the pomposity and misfortunes of Mr Pooter; it is worth remembering though that, at the end, Pooter is acclaimed by his boss as one of the most decent and loyal employees he has ever had. Milne’s book has not a single ounce of cruelty in it; the foibles of Archie, Simpson and others are observed gently and with affection.
Edward VII died in May 1910, but his passing goes unmentioned by The Rabbits. It’s not that kind of book. We still have in our minds, though, the notion that the events of late August 1914, just four months after the last episode in this book, saw that last glorious summer left over from the Edwardian era as a golden light which was to be snuffed out by the horrors of The Great War. We know that Milne himself survived, but it is inevitable that many of the real young men typified in The Rabbits did not. Those celebrated four words of Philip Larkins have never sounded more appropriate – Never Such Innocence Again.
April 11, 2024
It is really difficult to apply a star rating to this novel. It is of its time and the modern reader may not appreciate its gentleness and its contextual humour. However, a patient reader who understands the contexts and appreciates a glimpse of the past may very much value this novel.
Like many people I have only thought of A.A. Milne as the creator of Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and co…I hadn’t realised that he had written adult fiction and I’ll be honest I was hoping for glimpses of those characters in these pages!
The Rabbits are Archie, his sister Myra, Samuel, Thomas, Dahlia and the narrator..This collection features various short scenes which take place across a period of years 1909-1914 - .cricket matches, summer holidays, boat trips, an amateur theatre production..
I didn’t immediately connect to these stories. I am not a golf or a cricket player and the language and humour are very of much of their time..
So I paused and thought a bit more about the background to these stories which I think provides a helpful and fascinating context with which to read them. The Rabbits initially featured as a series of sketches in Punch Magazine - a weekly magazine of humour and satire. Milne was a talented cricketer and played in teams with fellow writers such as J.M. Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle and P.G. Wodehouse.
Returnng to the stories with the above in mind, I found it helpful to think of these stories as episodes or sketches as in a comedy series/show. Light as a daisy, these sketches are full of gentle banter, lazy and leisurely days. They feel like something of a time-capsule, a little like watching the old Pathe movies..and feeling an overwhelming sense of watching the last sunny days before the war ….’
‘Sometimes I do a little work in the morning. Doctors are agreed now that an occasional spell of work in the morning doesn’t do me any harm.’
‘Be careful how you insult me, Thomas. A little more and I shall tell them what happened to you on the ornamental waters in Regent’s Park that rough day.’
‘I have nothing against Miss Aylwn-‘ I went on.
‘Except the way she does her hair.’
‘-but she doesn’t strike me as being the essential Rabbit. We cannot admit her to the-er-fold.’
Like many people I have only thought of A.A. Milne as the creator of Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and co…I hadn’t realised that he had written adult fiction and I’ll be honest I was hoping for glimpses of those characters in these pages!
The Rabbits are Archie, his sister Myra, Samuel, Thomas, Dahlia and the narrator..This collection features various short scenes which take place across a period of years 1909-1914 - .cricket matches, summer holidays, boat trips, an amateur theatre production..
I didn’t immediately connect to these stories. I am not a golf or a cricket player and the language and humour are very of much of their time..
So I paused and thought a bit more about the background to these stories which I think provides a helpful and fascinating context with which to read them. The Rabbits initially featured as a series of sketches in Punch Magazine - a weekly magazine of humour and satire. Milne was a talented cricketer and played in teams with fellow writers such as J.M. Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle and P.G. Wodehouse.
Returnng to the stories with the above in mind, I found it helpful to think of these stories as episodes or sketches as in a comedy series/show. Light as a daisy, these sketches are full of gentle banter, lazy and leisurely days. They feel like something of a time-capsule, a little like watching the old Pathe movies..and feeling an overwhelming sense of watching the last sunny days before the war ….’
‘Sometimes I do a little work in the morning. Doctors are agreed now that an occasional spell of work in the morning doesn’t do me any harm.’
‘Be careful how you insult me, Thomas. A little more and I shall tell them what happened to you on the ornamental waters in Regent’s Park that rough day.’
‘I have nothing against Miss Aylwn-‘ I went on.
‘Except the way she does her hair.’
‘-but she doesn’t strike me as being the essential Rabbit. We cannot admit her to the-er-fold.’
April 2, 2024
The Rabbits by AA Milne is a charming story of a group of friends who call themselves "The Rabbits", set pre World War 1, we follow Archie, Myra, Samuel, Thomas, Dahlia and the narrator on their adventures.
Being working class myself, I found it a little difficult to connect with the characters fully, but it was still a fun, entertaining read nonetheless.
I always find AA Milne has quite a specific writing style that always shines through. His stories always tend to be very nostalgic, wholesome and warm, and the same certainly applies here.
The characters had decent depth and the storylines flowed well. Reading along, you really feel as though you were right there, back then in those happy days before the devastation of World War 1.
Overall, a really nice read.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's.
Being working class myself, I found it a little difficult to connect with the characters fully, but it was still a fun, entertaining read nonetheless.
I always find AA Milne has quite a specific writing style that always shines through. His stories always tend to be very nostalgic, wholesome and warm, and the same certainly applies here.
The characters had decent depth and the storylines flowed well. Reading along, you really feel as though you were right there, back then in those happy days before the devastation of World War 1.
Overall, a really nice read.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's.
April 5, 2024
As soon as I saw the opportunity to read and review A.A. Milne, I grabbed it. As a lover of Winnie the Pooh, I was interested to try out his adult writing. It was so interesting to see that his writing style is mirrored. There was a major sense of nostalgia and wholesome fun and happiness. With The Rabbits set pre-war, this care-free behaviour of the characters shines through and demonstrates the love and laughter that flows throughout each of the stories we read.
With some of the topics and settings the stories focus on, such as cricket, I struggled to completely get into them as cricket for instance is not one of my interests, however it was fun and entertaining. With this book originally being published as sketches in Punch, the different stories can be read at your leisure, dipping in and out which works really well for anyone looking for quick and light reads.
A light-hearted, humorous set of short sketches that will have you chuckling along at the frivolity and simplicity of middle class life pre-1914.
With some of the topics and settings the stories focus on, such as cricket, I struggled to completely get into them as cricket for instance is not one of my interests, however it was fun and entertaining. With this book originally being published as sketches in Punch, the different stories can be read at your leisure, dipping in and out which works really well for anyone looking for quick and light reads.
A light-hearted, humorous set of short sketches that will have you chuckling along at the frivolity and simplicity of middle class life pre-1914.
April 13, 2024
An interesting collection of stories (or sketches) about a group of bored friends and their antics.
I have to say I laughed out loud at some of the sketches and others went over my head (probably to do with the age of them, that and I don’t get cricket 😂).
It is very different to Winnie the Pooh haha but definitely a fascinating read.
I have to say I laughed out loud at some of the sketches and others went over my head (probably to do with the age of them, that and I don’t get cricket 😂).
It is very different to Winnie the Pooh haha but definitely a fascinating read.
March 17, 2025
4.5/5 stars. I'm so glad that these stories from "Punch" were collected into this book. You'll see why if you take a look at my book review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2025/03/1...
January 3, 2025
terribly funny once you settle into it
December 15, 2025
Delightful different read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews