Barrack-Room Ballads.
by Kipling, Rudyard
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
1892. Scarce unauthorized edition of perhaps Kipling's most popular poetry collection. Octavo, original wrappers. In very good condition. This collection was so popular upon publication in 1892 it was pirated in a small number of unauthorized editions which were sold on the streets of London and quickly suppressed. Housed in a custom chemise case. Scarce. In the short span of four years, English author Rudyard Kipling produced, in addition to the Jungle Books, a collection of short stories (The Day's Work), a novel (Captains Courageous), and a profusion of poetry, including the volume The Seven Seas. The collection of Barrack-Room Ballads was issued in March 1892, first published individually for the most part in 1890, and containing his poems "Mandalay" and "Gunga Din".
Reviews
On Jul 24 2011, Feeney said:
Rudyard Kipling's two-part (1892, 1896) BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS is holding up as a good read more than a century after its 38 poems first appeared in book form. *** These are soldier stories, Tommy stories, British GI in India Thomas Adkins stories. The points of view expressed usually come from rankers and non-coms in barracks in cantonments, from little people who put in their six years soldiering abroad for Queen Victoria and then go home to England, Ireland, Wales or Scotland. ***A half dozen of the ballads are still recited or sung today. -- (1) "Tommy": "We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,/ But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you"; -- (2) "Gunga Din": "'E'll be squattin' on the coals/Givin' drink to poor damned souls,/An' I'll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!"; -- (3) "The Widow at Windsor"; -- (4) "Mandalay": "Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,/Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst"; -- (5) "Gentlemen-Rankers": "We're poor little lambs who've lost our way,/Baa! Baa! Baa!/We're little black sheep who've gone astray,/ Baa--aa--aa!/Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree,/Damned from here to Eternity,/God ha' mercy on such as we,/Baa! Yah! Bah!"; -- (6) "Cholera Camp": "We've got to die somewhere -- some way -- some'ow --/We might as well begin to do it now!.; *** Other things being equal, buy a scholarly edition of BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS. You will profit from some historical context on the 19th Century British Raj in India, also from a glossary of Hindustani or Anglo-Indian phrases as mauled by common soldiers and from a map or two as well. But even as stand-alone verses, BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS is a strong keeper. -OOO-
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Details
- Bookseller
- Raptis Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 120604
- Title
- Barrack-Room Ballads.
- Author
- Kipling, Rudyard
- Book Condition
- Used
- Date Published
- 1892
- Keywords
- Barrack-Room Ballads First Edition, Rudyard Kipling first edition
Terms of Sale
Raptis Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed.
About the Seller
Raptis Rare Books
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida
About Raptis Rare Books
Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.
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