If: The Untold Story of Kipling's American Years

Having the pleasure of staying in Naulahka three times and knowing something of Kipling’s brief time in Vermont, I was drawn as much by the title as the contents of the book. I was not disappointed. Benfey does a nice job in describing the decrease in Kipling’s fame due to his colonial reputation and tries to restore some of that by placing the man squarely in his time. That doesn’t free him from his sins of the past but it does try to place his literary fame back in its appropriate place. I was unaware of the influence of KIM on early US policy in Vietnam Nam. You can’t blame that on Kipling but it is unsettling to read. Sitting at his desk in Naulahka where he wrote some of his best, looking at the volumes of his work and enjoying his marvelous house, I, perhaps, have a greater feeling of the author. Good book. Worth a read if you like Kipling for his literary mastery. Now I need to reread Conrad and listen to Elgar to get my fix of good old fashioned imperialism not this weak kneed stuff being pedaled now.

Thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and informative account of Kipling’s years in America, from about 1889-1899. Meticulously researched and written in a lively and accessible way, this is biography at its best. Essential reading for anyone interested in Kipling.