An interesting book - I learned a lot, not so much about Kipling himself but about his relatives (including both Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, by marriage), some of the circumstances in which he grew up and in which he wrote, and about the world events going on during his lifetime (such as the Boer War). But it was very clear, almost from the beginning, that Fido really didn't like Kipling - his personality, his politics, or his writing. Story after story was dismissed as "sickly sentimental" or "insipid"; the only ones Fido seemed to like were the few that I really dislike, with twisted, hidden motivations and obscure events driving the story. Very literary. Reading the afterword, I find that Fido wrote a book on Oscar Wilde (who, I presume, he admired), then was encouraged to write about this other popular writer of the time. I almost wish he hadn't. At one point, he discusses the techniques used in a poem that's clearly referencing Kipling's daughter's death; his final comment is, parenthetically, "Readers who like it would probably feel that a 'haunting' note has been added to the simple verses.". He makes it very clear that he's not among those who like it. He does admire Kipling's wordsmithing, from time to time - the Second Jungle Book, for one. But in general, he implies and occasionally states that Kipling wasted his skill on weak pieces. I did learn some things, but the tone of the book was unpleasant at best, to a Kipling fan. I'm not sure whether I'm glad I read it or not, but I definitely won't be rereading, nor looking for more by this author. ( )