The Man Who Would Be King

Unabridged

By: Rudyard Kipling

Narrated by: Charles Constant

The Man Who Would Be King is an enormously popular story by the legendary British writer, poet, and journalist Rudyard Kipling. In the tale, the narrator—a British newspaperman in India modeled after Kipling himself—meets two ex-military rogues named Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan, who have grand ambitions. They plan to load up on weapons, travel to the remote Afghan kingdom of Kafiristan and—through cunning and military force—become monarchs.

When Carnehan returns alone two years later, he tells the narrator a fantastical tale: he and Dravot did become kings—even considered gods—only to watch the entire scheme fall apart after a bit of hubris proves their mortality.

Famously adapted to the screen in 1975 by director John Huston, The Man Who Would Be King is among the most popular and beloved adventure tales of colonial British life in Asia, and is presented here in its original and unabridged format.

©2023 Fort Raphael Publishing Company (P)2023 SoundCraft Audiobooks

Rudyard Kipling has potential!

This young Kipling fellow has quite the knack for writing. If he keeps it up, I can see him going places.

Perfect match of writer & narrator

Charles Constant was born to narrate Kipling. This is a novel of high adventure, intricate plotting, thrilling twists and turns. Plus humor. And characters so finely drawn the book has become Literature.

But what a nightmare for narrators. Kipling is notoriously hard, a graveyard for narrators. His characters speak low and high British, Indian, Scottish, even, I believe, Afghani Pashtu.

Constant masters them all. Makes the characters come alive. And what characters! Imagine a rogue named Peachy Carnahan. He sounds just like you’d expect a Peachy Carnahan to sound. Billy Fish too. And others.

Kipling and Constant. No, not a law firm. A brilliant writer; and an artist of accents and nuance. Here’s what I’d like Audible to present next: Kipling’s Barrack Room Ballads. Narrators have tried to do this one, and gone down in flames. Constant could do it.