Complete Verse

My "love affair" with Kipling's work began many years ago in my youth. I believe a reasonable "print" for life can still be found in the stories of Mogli of the Jungle Book. This volume of complete verse is as claimed...definitive. Yes it is all here in one volume to be read and re-read and again re-read. Kipling is misunderstood by many but he was a man of his times and among other things perhaps (combined with his prose) the only true social record of the Raj remaining... A primary source if you will. His Indian verse recalls a time long gone, for this alone it is of value...verse written about and for the people (and of course the animals). This book is a must.

... Collections of Kipling's poems have been published many times over the years, but many of them were not complete. This collection includes many not found elsewhere. Many of his poems are about the British Army or the British Empire, but there are also poems on other topics. Some of Kipling's poems are better known than others, e.g., "Gunga Din." A few have been set to music, e.g., "Mandalay" and "Gentlemen-Rankers." In some cases, particular lines are well known such as, "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet (from "The Ballad of East and West") or "the Colonel's Lady and Judy O'Grady are sisters under their skins" (from "The Ladies). Some of the poems were concerned with the poor treatment of British soldiers for whom Kipling was a champion, including "Shillin' a Day," "Back to the Army Again," "The Last of the Light Brigade," and "Tommy" ("I went into a public 'ouse to get a pint of beer, the publican 'e up an' sez, 'we serve no redcoats here' "). Overall, it is a good, wide-ranging collection of poetry covering an extended time period. The collection is recommended for all age groups, although some poems might have to be explained to children. The poems were written at a different time in history, and readers should be aware that some of them may express prejudices and language of that period ("for she knifed me one night, 'cause I wished she was white, and I learned about women from 'er," from "The Ladies")

The Complete Verse of Rudyard Kipling is just what its title declares. The poems are indexed by title and are presented in a pleasing format.

a classic English writer of its time

... and I LOVE IT! I keep hoping to get the hard copy. The vendor sent me another paperback copy. This book is so enjoyable!

Perhaps the ultimate "anti-snobbery" poetry. I say "addicting" because, if you read a bit of these 800 pages every day, you may find yourself saying, "one more... one more...just one more" before you can bring yourself to wedge in a bookmark to savor more poems tomorrow. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, often poignant, these masterful rhythm/rhymes convey the ironies & realities of life, love, lust, political favoritism, courage, spirituality, etc. in a raw, direct manner. If you need an "inner voice accent" to enhance enjoyment of these poems (though I don't think it's necessary) think Michael Caine's voice in that wonderful film "The Man Who Would Be King." No doubt about it, Kipling was cool.

I've always been a fan of Rudyard Kipling's verse. This is a comprehensive collection of his verse.

I would recommend this book for everyone to read and to enjoy lots of history I read them for years till I lost my book in a move now I have it back.

My guy's dad loves Rudyard Kipling, and so this has been a real treat...along with prompt service!

Superb. Ignored by the modern (politically correct?) educational establishment in Britain who are ashamed of Kipling's typically modern identification with British imperialism. This is sad, as his poetry is wonderful - simple but emotive and wonderfully illustrative of the locations, times and people who lived in them. Highly recommended.

What a good purchase. I have liked poetry from being a child and vaguely knew of Gunga Din, and this book on offer from 'The Works' seemed to be inexpensive. I had no idea that Kipling wrote so many poems and the book is a weighty volume. Have read about 3 dozen poems so far and the majority are really good. Good delivery service from 'The Works' too.

Bought for a friend

Bought for my husband as a 49th wedding anniversary gift. He hasn't put it down!!! So whether that's good or bad I'm not sure, but I too have learned a lot since my husband spouts poetry to me nearly every day. So a hit I would say.