The Man Who Would Be King
- First published
- 1888
- Reading level
- Easy
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The Man Who Would Be King" by Rudyard Kipling is a short story published in 1888 about two British adventurers who embark on an audacious plan to become kings of Kafiristan, a remote region of Afghanistan. Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan leave British India armed with rifles and military knowledge, determined to conquer and rule. Their journey leads them through treacherous mountains to encounter the Kafirs, who begin to worship Dravot as a god. But ambition and hubris threaten to unravel everything they've achieved in this tale of empire and excess.
- Political fiction
- Kings and rulers
- British
- Afghanistan
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #8147. The Man Who Would Be King on Wikipedia.
