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A wax work of Joseph Rudyard Kipling in his office

Rudyard Kipling: Biography

Image Credit: ShutterStockStudio / Shutterstock.com | Above: A wax work of Joseph Rudyard Kipling in his office at the Grange Museum, Brighton, UK.

The story of Rudyard Kipling is a tale of paradise lost. It is the story of a literary genius who wrote some of the world's best known and enduring books yet whose own life was filled with tragedy.

Kipling was a literary giant of the twentieth century, a man whose remarkable range of work captivated not just a nation but an empire. He was the nations laureate, the voice of the people and he became an international superstar.

His work continues to fascinate and enchant. ‘The Jungle Book’ and the famous poem, ‘If’, remain as popular today as they were when published one hundred years ago.

Less well-known is the private life of the man who produced such masterpieces. Kipling endured an appalling childhood, a domineering wife, and the devastating loss of two of his children.