This collection of notes and essays on Kipling’s world travels reveals a man bursting with self-deprecating wit, keen observational powers, and an intelligent awareness of his own cultural biases and prejudices. First published in 1899, this volume serves as a delightful reminder of Kipling’s genius.

The stories in this collection capture the varied scents and colours of India in the days of the Raj. Magic and religion, art and life, politics and society, combine into one special stroke of genius in Kipling’s imaginative canvas, bringing the short story and the poem together. These tales hold a tremendous appeal for children and adults alike, who can look forward to a dazzling array of incidents and characters, choreographed to perfection.

The Day’s Work I by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of short stories featuring mostly non-humans as main characters of each story. It contains some of Kipling’s best and worst writings. However, the failures are set among some of his best, including The Bridge Builders and The Brushwood Boy, making this collection it well worth the read.

The Light That Failed is a haunting and powerful novel of human suffering, love and loss. In Dick Heldar, artist and journalist, we see a man struggling to rise above his cruel beginnings and neglected childhood to grasp at a chance for happiness in later life. However as his hopes slowly turn to dust, his determination and mental powers begin to drain away, and the onset of premature physical decline determines his final demise. In a shocking and tragic conclusion, Kipling completes his frighteningly realistic survey of physical and psychological breakdown.

Two former British soldiers who were sent in the early 19th century to British controlled India to search for adventure end up becoming kings of Kafiristan. This story is inspired by Josiah Harlan, an American adventurer who claimed the title of Prince of Ghor after leding a military force into Afghanistan in the mid-19th century.