The Two Jungle Books by Kipling, Rudyard

1926 Illustrated by John Lockwood Kipling, C.I.E, and W.H Drake. Finely bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in full green polished calf with five raised bands to spine, boards double-ruled in gilt, compartments and bands decorated in gilt, red morocco spine label lettered in gilt, text block edges gilt with gilt board edges and turn-ins, animal patterned endpapers. An excellent copy, with slight wear and minor rubbing to the extremities, some fading to spine, else near fine condition. The Jungle Books are collections of short stories and verses, the most famous of which relate to the feral child protagonist Mowgli, a "man cub." While they can be read independently of each other, each chapter serves as a fable using animal figures to provide a moral lesson. In each volume, the short stories are both preceded and followed by poems or songs, including the notable "Mowgli's Song" and "The Law of the Jungle." The Jungle Books, based on the author's childhood and later work experience in British India, are indicative of Western Orientalist ideology at the turn of the 20th century, which is somewhat softened by Kipling's fondness for his former home. Both Jungle Books are illustrated by the author's father, John Lockwood Kipling, who was a practicing illustrator and art professor in Bombay.. Hard Cover. Fine. Illus. by London: Macmillan and Company.