France At War: On the Frontier of Civilization
'France At War: On the Frontier of Civilization' Summary
The collection of journalistic pieces is preceded by a poem, "France", that had been published before the outbreak of war (in 1913) which has a more overblown jingoistic feel to it than the reflections on war itself. The poem does, though, show Kipling's love of France, as well as his sense of the destiny of imperial dreams.
Kipling himself was an ardent and effective writer of propaganda directed primarily against German treatment of civilians. The "rape of Belgium" in 1914 and the sinking of the Lusitania earlier in 1915 were particularly shocking. In Kipling's eyes such "total war" was a renunciation of civilisation. The heat of his reaction is associated with his militarism. Although not a soldier, Kipling was educated at the United Services College (a school for the sons of officers which prepared students to enter Sandhurst and Dartmouth - the British army and navy officers training establishments). His writing is deeply imbued with notions of military service as honorable and, among civilised people, restrained and governed by rules.
Kipling encouraged his son John to enlist, and perhaps used his connections to get John enlisted despite poor eyesight and two earlier refusals. John died on 27th September 1915, just ten days after these articles were published (6th -17th September 1915).
Thus Kipling's account (not least in view of his reputation today as a supporter of British imperialism, and his jingoism) is still interesting one hundred years later as we try to understand our ancestors' experience.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1915Author
Rudyard Kipling
Britain
Kipling's writing has strongly influenced that of others. His stories for adults remain in print and have garnered high praise from writers as different as Poul Anderson, Jorge Luis Borges, and Randal...
More on Rudyard KiplingDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Aunt Jo's Scrapbag by Louisa May Alcott
A collection of short stories by Louisa May Alcott that were written with the intent to entertain the whole family and to fill children's heads with w...
Collaboration by Henry James
It is Paris sometime after the Franco-Prussian War. A French poet and a German composer come to admire one another's work and decide to collaborate on...
Perils in the Transvaal and Zululand by Henry Cadwallader Aams
A young man travels to South Africa to find his Mother and sister. He wants to be a clergyman and a farmer when he arrives there. This story includes...
The National Geographic Magazine Vol. 07 by National Geographic Society
National Geographic (formerly the National Geographic Magazine, sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is the long-lived official monthly magazine of the Natio...
An Angler's Hours by Hugh Tempest Sheringham
In this, Sheringham shares his love of fishing and the outdoors with his readers. He describes the thrill of catching a fish and the peacefulness of b...
One of Ours by Willa Cather
One of Ours is a 1922 novel by Willa Cather that won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel. It tells the story of the life of Claude Wheeler, a Nebras...
Headlong Hall by Thomas Love Peacock
Headlong Hall is a novella by Thomas Love Peacock, his first long work of fiction, written in 1815 and published in 1816. As in his later novel C...
Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag Vol. 6 by Louisa May Alcott
The last volume of Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag is another collection of stories by Louisa May Alcott. From preparing for Thanksgiving (with your parents away!...
Selected Essays of Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson
This is a volume of selected essays by "the great master of reason" Samuel Johnson. The most famous exerpts from The Rambler, The Adventurer and The I...
The Wit and Humor of America, Vol 03 by Marshall Pinckney Wilder
The Wit and Humor of America is a 10 volume series. In this, the third volume, 53 short stories and poems have been gathered from 44 authors. This vol...
Reviews for France At War: On the Frontier of Civilization
No reviews posted or approved, yet...