Kipling and War: From 'Tommy' to 'My Boy Jack'

by Andrew Lycett

Although Rudyard Kipling never fought, he was one of Britiain's foremost observers of and commentators on war. Through his writing on the harsh realities of life as a private and accounts of feats of courage and comradeship during the frontier wars in India, 19th century British campaigns in Sudan, the Boer Wars and the First World War, he became the poet of the common soldier. Although he wrote propaganda for the government in the Boer and First World Wars, Kipling was also acerbic in his criticism of military incompetence, deeply compassionate towards the victims of war and despairing of the senseless bloodshed that he witnessed. Through his writing, the voices of countless soldiers and the guns of many battles echo through the years and place Kipling firmly firmly among the leading practitioners of 19th and 20th century war literature.

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 23, 2015

About the author

(born 1950)

Reviews

[Salli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read this from cover to cover, maunly used it for research for a college project. It has allowed me to see that Kipling was a multidimensional man whose views changed over time. I liked the quick comments on each piece of his written work, putting it in context. I liked that the book covered poetry, short story, journalism and a history book he wrote. A Good way to approach the subject for my purpose

[Tilly Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conveys a deeper side to the war. Brings into question class, sexuality and most obviously the violence and heartache that comes with war.