313. Rudyard Kipling: Escaping India & Writing The Jungle Book (Part 2)

Empire

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What inspired Kipling to write his two most famous works: The Jungle Book and Kim? Why did Kipling hate London and swiftly move to the US? How did Kipling develop such astute observational writing about Anglo-Indians in his early twenties? William is joined once again by Andrew Lycett, author of Rudyard Kipling, to discuss his rise to fame and how although he left India, his writing became evermore obsessed with the subcontinent… Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire experience with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Just go to empirepod.supportingcast.fm/gifts And of course, you can still join for yourself any time at empirepoduk.com or on apple podcasts. Email: [email protected] Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Producer: Anouska Lewis Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you want access to bonus episodes reading lists for every series of Empire, a chat community,
0:06.7	discounts for all the books mentioned in the week's podcasts, add free listening, and a weekly newsletter,
0:12.5	sign up to Empire Club at www.mparpoduk.com.
0:21.7	Now, this episode is brought to you by Babbel.
0:26.0	If you're learning a new language, it's probably not about memorizing grammar tables or
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1:23.0	Rules and restrictions may apply.
1:36.1	Music and restrictions may apply. Hello and welcome.
1:38.7	There is no Anita, I'm afraid, in this episode,
1:41.4	as she is still in A&E.
1:43.4	So all your prayers, her back is giving her terrible pain.
1:46.5	But with me is my great friend Andrew Lysett, the brilliant biographer of Roger Kipling,
1:51.9	who took us in the last episode so brilliantly through Kipling's childhood and his early writings.
	...

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