Rudyard Kipling

''Hear and attend and listen...''Rudyard Kipling is a supreme master of the short story in English and a poet of brilliant gifts. His energy and inventiveness poured themselves into every kind of tale, from the bleakest of fables to the richest of comedies, and he illuminated every aspect of human behaviour, of which he was a fascinated (and sometimes appalled) observer. This generous selection of stories and poems, first published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series, covers the full range of Kipling''s career from the youthful volumes that brought him fame as the chronicler of British India, to the bittersweet fruits of age and bereavement in the aftermath of the First World War. It includes stories such as ''The Man who would be King'', ''Mrs Bathurst'', and ''Mary Postgate'', and poems from Barrack-Room Ballads and other collections. In his introduction and notes Daniel Karlin addresses the controversial political engagement of Kipling''s art, and the sources of its imaginative power.

A rich and entrancing tale of danger, adventure and friendship: Mowgli learns not just the ''Law of the Jungle'', but respect for authority, obedience, and about finding his place in society from the characters he meets, including cunning Shere Khan, carefree Baloo and wise Bagheera. The underlying themes of nature, survival, and the relationship between human civilisation and the natural world are as relevant and important as ever, and this illustrated hardback edition will captivate readers of all ages.