A Fleet in Being

by Rudyard Kipling

'. . . . the sailor men That sail upon the seas, To fight the Wars and keep the Laws, And live on yellow peas' 'A Gunroom Ditty-Box.' G. S. BOWLES.

86 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1898

About the author

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist.

Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".

Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."

Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible, which hampered my understanding of it a bit. It sounded like it was being read by an AI. Not sure if it was or not, but the lilt of the reader was unnatural.

As for the book itself, it was a glimpse into the world of the British navy, a snapshot of what it was like in 1898. Kipling was viewing a few ships as a journalist. He got pretty good access. I particularly enjoyed his conversations with those in the lower decks. Speaking of which (the Lower Decks is a Star Trek series), you can see the similarities between a navy battleship and a starship. And when Kipling was talking about the ship's engineer, he could have been describing Scotty himself.

I also thought of Churchill and his time in the Admiralty just twelve years later. Having listened to his memoirs, I can see the similarities with Kipling's descriptions, as well as sharing a joy in being at sea on these magnificent vessels with magnificent officers and men maintaining the fleet. It must have been quite sight.

Just because it is an issue these days, Kipling does use a word that would not be used today. I only mention it because it is there. I do not judge Kipling for it because no one would have made a fuss in 1898. He was not denigrating anyone in it's use.

[Erik Empson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will appeal to those interested in naval warfare in general and in particular the development of the British fleet at the turn of the 20th Century.
Essentially presented in note form, A Fleet in Being is not an easy read and the language used will be quite unfamiliar to many readers, both because of the specialist ship related terms used and the slang and coloquialisms of the sailors themselves. If you can get past that, this is a rich insight into the workings of a ship and the relations between the men aboard, other ships and the sea.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

just read the 1899 edition, but being able to say that is the only good think I can say. Not bad, just boring. Kipling also shows his true colours in regards to colonianism and non-white people.

[Eric Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit hard to read sometimes because of how old it is, and it's not a novel, so it's jumpy. Short, though, so I managed to get through it.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting first hand account of sailing with the British Fleet prior to WWI. Kipling has immense respect for the Royal Navy and it is clear in his words. For someone who reads only about big sweeping naval movements and their context within land campaigns, this short provided some of the process and culture in the navy aboard a ship. While the characters tend to be static, the description of their activities as a team provide insight into what navies have to do. And they certainly cannot be made overnight.