Talbot
Mundy, Philosopher of Adventure: A Critical Biography
 "In
1895, 16-year-old Talbot Mundy
fled
the strait-laced Victorian upbringing of his native England for a life of
adventure. He crossed the entire northern frontier of India, into Tibet,
spent four years in Africa, and traveled the Middle East in the wake of
World War I.
"Colonial
odysseys of the time led most writers to echo Rudyard Kipling's support
of British imperialism. Not Mundy. With his belief in Eastern religious
teachings, he challenged assumptions of Western cultural superiority in
his fantasy-adventure books, including Om–The Secret of Ahbor Valley,
Tros of Samothrace, and Queen Cleopatra. Radio won him an audience of millions
of daily listeners. Such classic Mundy novels as King–of the Khyber
Rifles have also been adapted for the screen.
"Talbot
Mundy: Philosopher of Adventure is the first scholarly examination of this
influential writer, and an appendix includes the original publication of
all of Mundy's work."
By
Brian Taves, Ph.D.
|
