Rudyard Kipling Books In Order

Publication Order of Puck Books

Publication Order of The Jungle Book Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Graphic Spin Books

Publication Order of The Year of the Cat Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Born in India to English parents, Rudyard Kipling was to become a great short-story, poet and novelist who was also a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was famous for writing novels, short stories, various poems and children’s stories.

Rudyard Kipling was born in India in 1865. At the age of 6 his parents sent him back to their homeland of England to receive a formal education while they remained in India to assist the British government. Living with an unkind foster family, particularly his strict foster mother, Mrs. Holloway, Rudyard Kipling struggled to fit in at his new home and school. He was often found reading and writing for comfort. Having finally discovered the deplorable conditions her son was subjected to, Mrs. Kipling immediately returned to England and moved Rudyard to a new school where he excelled. It was also during this time that Rudyard discovered he had a true talent for writing. He joined the school newspaper and very quickly became editor.

Instead of attending college, Rudyard Kipling returned to India after school and soon found a job at a local newspaper. During this time Kipling also suffered from insomnia and learned the underground local culture as he wondered the streets at night. He eventually gained access to brothels and opium dens that were hidden from the light of day. His experiences at such places laid the building blocks for his book of short stories called Plain Tales from the Hills. This book earned him some celebrity in England.

In 1892, Rudyard Kipling married Carrie Balestier who was the sister of an American friend and associate he had made in England but who then passed away suddenly. Immediately after their marriage, the fall of the New Oriental Banking Corporation left the Kiplings broke and so they decided to settle in Vermont near Carrie’s family. Kipling thoroughly enjoyed his time living in the United States. He and Carrie had two girls while living in America (later they had a son in England) and it was during this time that Kipling also wrote his most famous works: The Jungle Book, The Naulahka: A Short Story of the West and East and the Second Jungle Book. By this time Kipling was known as a prolific writer all over the globe. He became extremely successful and is believed to have been the highest paid author in the world during the 1890s.

In 1896 the Kiplings decided to move to England. Sadly, on a return visit to America, Rudyard Kipling and his daughter, Josephine, fell gravely ill on board the ship. Due to his celebrity, the world was on edge about Kipling and his daughter’s condition as they fought a terrible case of pneumonia. Rudyard Kipling eventually recovered from his illness but his young daughter passed away. Kipling was not informed of his daughter’s death until he had recovered. After this tragedy, Kipling blamed the trip to the United States for causing her death and therefore he did not wish to travel to America again. It is said that Kipling was never the same after his daughter’s death.

Rudyard Kipling was known for writing many works about war during this time and in 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature as he was a strong voice for the plights of the common English solider. In addition to the Nobel Prize, Kipling received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his portrayal of soldier life and also for his classic children’s tales.

Rudyard Kipling remained in England and continued writing until 1915 when he became a vocal supporter of the war and went to the front line to report on soldier life there. Tragedy struck the Kipling family again as Rudyard Kipling’s son John was lost in the fight during a battle in France. His body was never recovered. Kipling went to France to try to locate his son but returned unsuccessful. It is believed that the loss of two children is the reason why Kipling never wrote another children’s book after this.

In 1926 Rudyard Kipling received the Gold Medal of the Royal Society for Literature. The society strives to reward literary merit and excite talent.

Rudyard Kipling passed away on January 18th, 1936 due to complications with an ulcer. He was cremated and today his ashes are in Westminster Abbey next to Charles Dickens.

Kipling’s series of The Jungle Book takes place in India and centers around a young boy, Mowgli, a feral child who is raised by a pack of wolves. In The Jungle Book universe the young boy’s name is said to mean “frog”. During his time growing up in the jungle, the boy learns about “The Law of the Jungle” and the reader follows him on his many adventures with the animal friends he makes in the jungle. Baloo, the bear, and Baheera the panther are prominent characters who teach the boy and keep him safe. Eventually Mowgli must face the evil Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger who torments all who live in the Jungle.

The Second Jungle Book offers more tales of Mowgli and his animal friends in the jungle as well as some unrelated stories about life in India.

The Jungle Book stories were originally published in magazines which accompanied drawings by Rudyard Kipling’s father, John Lockwood Kipling. Rudyard Kipling used the animals in his series to relay valuable lessons to the youth who read his tales. Rudyard Kipling had adapted The Jungle Book and other stories about Mowgli’s adventures to be performed as a play but it was never set to stage. The manuscript was thought to be lost forever but was eventually recovered and published as a book in 2000.

The Jungle Book is of course widely famous for Disney’s adaptation of the timeless children’s tale in the 1967 animated film. It was the last Disney film to be produced by Walt Disney himself who died during its production. In 1967 it finished as the 4th highest grossing film of the year. The Disney adaptation of the Jungle Book was re-released in theater various times over the years including in 1978, 1984 and 1990. Disney also produced another Jungle Book movie in 1994.