--- product_id: 119459653 title: "The Man Who Would Be King: and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions: Short Stories)" price: "S$3" currency: SGD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/119459653-the-man-who-would-be-king-and-other-stories-dover store_origin: SG region: Singapore --- # The Man Who Would Be King: and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions: Short Stories) **Price:** S$3 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Man Who Would Be King: and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions: Short Stories) - **How much does it cost?** S$3 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/119459653-the-man-who-would-be-king-and-other-stories-dover) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907, Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) drew upon his experiences in Anglo-Indian Society for much of his writing. This volume presents five of Kipling's best early stories, including "The Phantom Rickshaw," a psychological thriller; "Wee Willie Winkie," a delightful display of love for children; "Without Benefit of Clergy," the poignant story of an Englishmen's affair with an Islamic woman; "The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes"; and the celebrated title story. Review: True Leadership - Years ago, I caught on tv the tail end of the movie The Man Who Would Be King (TMWWBK). It starred Sean Connery and Michael Caine so, of course, I was riveted to the screen. It so piqued my interest that I looked up the title of the film in my TV Guide. Ever since then, I had been looking to borrow a copy of the movie from the local Blockbuster, but the title isn't exactly a popular favorite. When Kindle became available on the PC, it struck me to look up TMWWBK on desertcart books. I figured, if there was a book version, I'd enjoy the piece much better than if I got hold of a DVD. Connery and Caine are two gorgeous men with a lovely accent, but I have to admit that their looks and manner of speaking sometimes gets in the way when I'm trying to understand a movie. I was pleased to find out that there is a book version, but pretty much surprised to find out that it was written by Rudyard Kipling. I had always thought of him in terms of jungle books for kids and Gunga Din. Anyway, cheapskate that I am, learning that the author is Rudyard Kipling presented me with an added pleasure. I knew right away that there would be a free version on Kindle! Enough of the backgrounder and on to my review proper: the book is an eye opener. It's a window into the mind of the colonizer; not the "noble" mind of the British statesman, but the more down-to-earth view of the British mercenary. It offers a simplistic analysis of what it takes to make subjects out of a bunch of natives and points out the important role of religion in the work of colonizing. It all seems so crass and mercenary, but in the end, the bumbling pair find out what true and lasting leadership requires. This is great reading, especially for an election year like 2012. People should read this book before heading out to the polling places. And really, for Americans who take their right to vote for granted, TMWWBK will open your eyes to your responsibility to elect a true leader who will serve the people and lead them towards a shared vision of a better America for all. Enough of the squabbling and let's all get to work behind one man with a vision and the determination to serve no matter what the personal consequences. And BTW, someone finally gifted me with my very own Kindle, the one with ads. It's a totally different experience from reading on your PC or even your iPad. It's so gentle on the eyes that I've read more books in the last few months than I have in the last five years. Not just the free classics, desertcart will be happy to note. Those ads of yours are so darn effective! Review: Comeuppance = A punishment or fate that someone deserves. - Afghanistan has been the demise of many an outsider and one such tale is told by Rudyard Kipling in the Man Who Would Be King. The story is a narration of a story of two Englishmen, Daniel Dravot and Preachy Carnehan, who set off from northeast India for Kafiristan (currently Nuristan) in Afghanistan. Kafiristan is populated by a pagan, tribal, fiercely independent people. The names come from Persian descriptions of the people who lived there. Kafirs are "pagans" or "infidels" and Nuris are "the enlightened ones." The renaming happened after they were conquered and converted to Islam in the 1890s. Kipling's story takes place before the subjugation. It is fictional but was inspired by historical events. The two Englishmen make it to their destination using wile and guise. They demonstrate their superiority with rifles to kill men at a distance. They rise to power, indeed becoming kings. Their next step is to convince their people they are Gods by interpreting ancient Masonic signs. (Kipling had become a Freemason in 1885.) This works for a while until Dravot insists on a wife and it all unravels with brutal results. It's the classic tale of comeuppance. Read it for a interesting view of the Raj at the end of the 19th century and the moral lesson. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #664,271 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #467 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Books) #668 in Classic Fiction Anthologies & Collections #782 in Classic Action & Adventure (Books) | ## Images ![The Man Who Would Be King: and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions: Short Stories) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/818OlMco9hL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ True Leadership *by P***N on March 15, 2012* Years ago, I caught on tv the tail end of the movie The Man Who Would Be King (TMWWBK). It starred Sean Connery and Michael Caine so, of course, I was riveted to the screen. It so piqued my interest that I looked up the title of the film in my TV Guide. Ever since then, I had been looking to borrow a copy of the movie from the local Blockbuster, but the title isn't exactly a popular favorite. When Kindle became available on the PC, it struck me to look up TMWWBK on Amazon books. I figured, if there was a book version, I'd enjoy the piece much better than if I got hold of a DVD. Connery and Caine are two gorgeous men with a lovely accent, but I have to admit that their looks and manner of speaking sometimes gets in the way when I'm trying to understand a movie. I was pleased to find out that there is a book version, but pretty much surprised to find out that it was written by Rudyard Kipling. I had always thought of him in terms of jungle books for kids and Gunga Din. Anyway, cheapskate that I am, learning that the author is Rudyard Kipling presented me with an added pleasure. I knew right away that there would be a free version on Kindle! Enough of the backgrounder and on to my review proper: the book is an eye opener. It's a window into the mind of the colonizer; not the "noble" mind of the British statesman, but the more down-to-earth view of the British mercenary. It offers a simplistic analysis of what it takes to make subjects out of a bunch of natives and points out the important role of religion in the work of colonizing. It all seems so crass and mercenary, but in the end, the bumbling pair find out what true and lasting leadership requires. This is great reading, especially for an election year like 2012. People should read this book before heading out to the polling places. And really, for Americans who take their right to vote for granted, TMWWBK will open your eyes to your responsibility to elect a true leader who will serve the people and lead them towards a shared vision of a better America for all. Enough of the squabbling and let's all get to work behind one man with a vision and the determination to serve no matter what the personal consequences. And BTW, someone finally gifted me with my very own Kindle, the one with ads. It's a totally different experience from reading on your PC or even your iPad. It's so gentle on the eyes that I've read more books in the last few months than I have in the last five years. Not just the free classics, Amazon will be happy to note. Those ads of yours are so darn effective! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Comeuppance = A punishment or fate that someone deserves. *by L***T on December 31, 2012* Afghanistan has been the demise of many an outsider and one such tale is told by Rudyard Kipling in the Man Who Would Be King. The story is a narration of a story of two Englishmen, Daniel Dravot and Preachy Carnehan, who set off from northeast India for Kafiristan (currently Nuristan) in Afghanistan. Kafiristan is populated by a pagan, tribal, fiercely independent people. The names come from Persian descriptions of the people who lived there. Kafirs are "pagans" or "infidels" and Nuris are "the enlightened ones." The renaming happened after they were conquered and converted to Islam in the 1890s. Kipling's story takes place before the subjugation. It is fictional but was inspired by historical events. The two Englishmen make it to their destination using wile and guise. They demonstrate their superiority with rifles to kill men at a distance. They rise to power, indeed becoming kings. Their next step is to convince their people they are Gods by interpreting ancient Masonic signs. (Kipling had become a Freemason in 1885.) This works for a while until Dravot insists on a wife and it all unravels with brutal results. It's the classic tale of comeuppance. Read it for a interesting view of the Raj at the end of the 19th century and the moral lesson. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Man Who Would Be King *by J***N on December 16, 2008* "Brother to a Prince and fellow to a beggar if he be found worthy." So begins Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King , with an echo of the last verse of the Masonic verse "Banquet Night," and there are a lot of references to Freemasonry in this tale, which is considered by many to be Kipling's finest short story. The story was first published in 1888, and this volume includes five of the author's best early stories: "The Phantom Rickshaw," "The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes," "Wee Willie Winkie," "Without Benefit of Clergy," and the aforementioned title selection. The author was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), in what was then British India, and he drew upon his experiences in Anglo-Indian society for much of his fiction. The winner of the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature, he was the first English language writer to receive the coveted prize, and to date he remains its youngest recipient. He is regarded as a master of the short story, and his books for children are considered as enduring classics of children's literature. "The Man Who Would be King" is a unforgettable tale of adventure, and is told by a first-person narrator, a newspaperman in India who one can assume is Rudyard Kipling. While on a train, he meets a fascinating opportunist: "He was a wanderer and a vagabond like myself, but with an educated taste for whiskey. He told tales of things he had seen and done, of out-of-the-way corners of the Empire into which he had penetrated, and of adventures in which he risked his life for a few days' food." The narrator soon learns that Daniel Dravot and his fellow vagabond, Peachey Carnehan, are both passing themselves off as journalists for the newspaper for which the narrator is a real correspondent. He is fascinated by them, but does stop them from blackmailing a minor Indian rajah. Some months later, they appear at his office in Lahore, and tell him their plan. In the words of Daniel Dravot, they have been "Soldier, sailor, compositor, photographer, proof-reader, street-preacher, and correspondents of the 'Backwoodsman' when we thought the paper wanted one. Carnehan is sober, and so am I. Look at us first and see that's sure. It will save you cutting into my talk. We'll take one of your cigars apiece, and you shall see us light." The paid have have decided India isn't enough for them, and the next day they will go off to Kafiristan, to set themselves up as kings. They were going through the Khaiber with a regular caravan and with Dravot disguised as a native priest, stating, "Who'd touch a poor mad priest?" They have twenty Martini rifles, and with their camels, they plan to find a tribal leader, help him defeat his enemies, then take over for themselves. The pair sign a "Contrack" (contract) as "Gentlemen at Large," with the narrator as witness, in which they will together "be Kings of Kafiristan," not "look at any Liquor, nor any Woman," and that if one gets into trouble "the other will stay by him." They ask the narrator for the use of maps and books of the area, as a favor because they are fellow Freemasons, and because he spoiled their earlier blackmail scheme. Two years pass, and on a hot summer night, an almost unrecognizable Peachey Carnehan creeps into the narrator's office, a broken man, a crippled beggar clad in rags. He tells an astonishing tale of how Daniel Dravot and he had succeeded in becoming Kafiri kings, taking over villages, and building a unified nation in Kafiristan (in modern-day Afghanistan). Carnehan explains how the Kafiris (who were pagans, not Moslems) came to regard Dravot as a god, and the immortal son of Alexander the Great. The Kafiris practiced a form of Masonic ritual, and the pair secrets of Freemasons that only the oldest priest remembered. But Carnehan explains that their grand schemes were shattered when Dravot made a decision that brought their kingdom down around them. And to explain any further would spoil the final outcome of this amazing tale. This complete story takes all of thirty pages, all in the center of this book, and many of the scholarly papers about it over the years are larger. The Masonic connections to the growth and demise of the British Empire have been covered by many. It's a true literary masterpiece, and it's quite apparent that Kipling was quite conscious of the fact that the British Empire of that time was not eternal. It's no wonder that the late John Huston chose Kipling's tale to create his epic 1975 film The Man Who Would Be King , which starred Sean Connery (Daniel Dravot), Michael Caine (Peachey Carnehan) and Christopher Plummer (Rudyard Kipling). It had a great supporting performance from Saeed Jaffrey and a rare but pivotal appearance by Michael Caine's wife, Shakira. It's a film that director John Huston had planned for years, and was nominated for four Academy Awards. The film is very true to Kipling's story, but goes into less Masonic detail. One of the more interesting aspects of this tale is that it was loosely based on historical fact, of which Kipling was aware. Josiah Harlan, a Pennsylvania Quaker, journeyed to Afghanistan in the 1820s, and through a series of wheeling and dealing, was crowned the Prince of Ghor (a province in central Afghanistan). Ben Macintyre's book The Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan details his story, including Freemason Harlan trading secrets with an old Rosicrucian sorcerer in an Afghan cave, and how the the British overthrow of the sitting Afghan ruler soon forced his departure. But going back to Kipling's tale, the inevitable question arises: which is better, the book or the movie? That would be a difficult answer for this reviewer, as both have been real favorites for many years, and John Huston had gone out of his way to keep his film as true to Kipling's story as possible. Would have to say that I rate them equally, and can easily recommend them as 5-star choices. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/119459653-the-man-who-would-be-king-and-other-stories-dover](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/119459653-the-man-who-would-be-king-and-other-stories-dover) --- *Product available on Desertcart Singapore* *Store origin: SG* *Last updated: 2026-09-21*