Rudyard Kipling probably thought his only son John was immortal. The latter's application to serve in the military was threatened by the same physical disability which led to his his own application being denied when he was a young man: poor eyesight. Not wanting his son to suffer the same ignominy he had suffered before, Rudyard used his influence and so his spectacled son got in as a second lieutenant in the Irish guards, with young Irishmen in his small command.World War 1 was raging then.Nowadays, getting exempted from military service during war would be a cause for celebration. Some, in fact, may conceivably prefer to go completely blind than be turned into corned beef in a relentless machine gun fire.During Rudyard's time, however, a military service for a young man seemed to have been a necessary rite of passage, a badge of honor necessary for social advancement, in the same vein, perhaps, that rich parents nowadays find it "de rigueur" to have their young children acquire knowledgeable proficiency (if not excellence) in arts (piano lessons!) or sports (polo lessons!). Rudyard was rich. The novel didn't say how he got wealthy but it did mention his fame, connections and the fact that his books for children (Just So Stories, The Jungle Book) were required reading in all English schools at that time. So he must have been the R.K. Rowling of England during the turn of the 20th century.Father and son were close to each other. John called Rudyard "Daddo" and he was the apple of his father's eyes. John was spoiled, but he was not a brat. Just before he left for the war, Rudyard bought him a new car. After the war is over, he planned to buy his son an even better automobile.They were bought caught up in the frenzy and excitement of war which many then thought would be over quickly with the allies victorious. Rudyard even had a poem published, "For All We Have and Are," which stroke a chord throughout England. Part of it went:"There is but one task for all,One life for each to give.What stands if freedom fall?Who dies if England live?"On towards his very first battle John went. He acquitted himself very well, showing exceptional bravery under heavy fire. But he was hit and was mortally wounded. His mouth, jaw and part of his neck almost all gone, blasted away. He was alive, but drifting in and out of consciousness, and some of his men, who were with him at some time, gave himself up for dead. He was left in the battlefield which was later overran by the Germans.This novel flits between the real events of John's short life and the imaginative reconstruction of what it might have been for him during his last hours of consciousness when he couldn't speak or move anymore. Then he was lost, exact fate uncertain. He was just 18 years old.After the war his parents, using their money and influence, went everywhere and met everyone in search of their son. But he was never found.In 1992 inspectors of the War Graves Commission were said to have determined that a body of an unknown lieutenant in the Irish Guards buried at the St. Mary's Dressing Station in Haisnes (near the place John had fallen) was that of John Kipling. But by then Rudyard had long been dead, having passed away in 1936 a broken man.About a million young British men (boys!) perished in that senseless carnage that was WW 1.
Mac J.4/6/158-1tKipling’s Choice by Geert Spillenbeen, is a book about John Kipling, Rudyard Kipling’s son. John is an eighteen year old man who is a lieutenant in the army. John experiences a flashback of many key moments of his life after he is severely injured in battle. Family has always been important to John, and he is reminded of it when he thinks back to all the good times he has had with his family.tJohn experiences many different feelings while he is waiting for death to come upon him, and one of the feelings he experiences is remorse. In a letter to his parents, John writes, “What terrible news about Oscar Hornung!”(Spillenbeen, 49) Johns shows that he is remorseful for others that are close to his family, even though he could very well be dead within hours of writing his letter. Spillenbeen uses many different techniques in his writing. He eludes to many events that will take place, yet he leaves room for surprises. This book is full of information that pertains to what is going on in the present with John, and not just in his past. John also shows feelings of individualism once he leaves his parents, for the first time in his life. On page 38, John’s Father promises to buy him a car so he can go to night clubs and into town. This demonstrates John’s individualism and maturity because his parents trust him with his own car, and that he can take of a car and himself. John will think back to the moment while he is passing because it reminds himself of how he liked to have fun, and be free. Spillenbeen shows that John Kipling was just a boy who wanted to serve his country, and make his family proud. John always did his best to represent his family in a positive way, and he always respected his family. John was a gentleman to everyone, and John could always be counted on to positive and rally his troops. John was well liked by everyone, and was missed by his family dearly. Spillenbeen’s work helps the reader think about people who serve their country today. John’s story was told on paper, but other fallen soldiers may not have been recognized like John is. It is sad to think that not every soldier gets to be appreciated like John was, but that does not mean they are not appreciated.
Do You like book Kipling's Choice (2007)?
One of the most difficult books I have read in a long time, it is the fictionalized account of the lingering death in no man's land.Kipling had pulled strings to get John into the Irish Guard since he had been refused based on his eyesight. A somewhat frail young man he was not prepared for the trench warfare (can anyone ever be prepared for war?)The books which deservedly won the Bulletin for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Award makes us realize that war is not glorious nor does it bare fruit! Kipling's grave was never found during Rudyard's life, but may have been discovered later. Kipling probably was racked with guilt over this death and particicapted in the society that maintained the British graves along the front and wrote extensively about the war...he is the author of the oft used quote by anti-war activists -- ."If any question why we died/ Tell them, because our fathers lied." "Epitaphs of the Great War."
—Karen Mcintyre
I haven't been this affected by an anti war book since reading Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo years ago.John Kipling, son of the Nobel prize winning legend Rudyard Kipling, joined the Irish Guard and, when promoted to Lt., was positioned on the front lines of a bloody battle in Loos France where Germans quickly overtook his men.The majority of the story is told from the voice of John as he lay dying on the battle field. Unable to move or speak, we enter his mind as he slips in and out of consciousness and flashes back to his life of luxury.This is the story of two John's -- the rich, pampered dandy juxtapositioned with the harsh reality of the 18 year old bespectacled, small, skinny boy who, in readily accepting his father's mandate that he be a "man", became a casualty of WWI.Because Rudyard could not have a war career of his own, he pushed his son toward this choice.The author cleverly shows the harsh reality learned by Kipling that words are powerful and actions have consequences. Prior to the loss of his son, Rudyard had a gung ho mentality, writing and lecturing that war is just against the "barbarians." Believing the sacrifice of life is the highest honor given for a country, Kipling's thoughts and words came back to haunt him when his one and only son is killed.In the end, by accepting his father's choice that he do what is expected of him, certainly in wartime...for King and Country...the son became one of the 1 million people who died for England and one of the 20 million who died world wide. Rudyard, the father, died years later, a broken man.Highly recommended.
—Linda Lipko
This book is both a painful and precise read for its attention to the detail of Kipling's death. The narrative switches back and forth quickly between the battlefield and the events in Kipling's life before he reaches the front and then between him and his father. It's told with such immediacy that I could not put it down. It left me grief-stricken for both father and son and for the whole generation who fought in the Great War. Spillebeen's mastery of the historical detail is beautiful. This book is a very worthwhile addition to the genre.
—Margit
