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Talbot Mundy
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The King of the Khyber Rifles Hardcover – September 10, 2010

by Talbot Mundy (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
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  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Kessinger Publishing, LLC
  4. Publication date
    September 10, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1163319732
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1163319734
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kessinger Publishing, LLC (September 10, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1163319732
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1163319734
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.66 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

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Talbot Mundy

Talbot Mundy

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
103 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Skandia Recluse
5.0 out of 5 stars An old school story of Empire and Romance
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2016
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This is a story about Empire and the mysterious and exotic lands and savage people who live beyond the frontiers of civilization. This is a James Bond adventure before the name Bond was known and it reveals that these men have been around for millennia, since before the days of Empires.

The ending of this story is anti-climatic since the magic is in the beginning and the middle for the destination is not the story; the story is in the journey. The story is about the mysterious and exotic land of the Khyber pass and the people who live there. It might well lead you on a search of the internet to study the images of that strange land and the people who live there. There are old words, strange and foreign words, that are not in English dictionaries and will lead you on a search even though the meaning of most of those words can be understood by the context in which they are used.

There are artifacts of the process of scanning an old book and converting it to digital bits, if those things are important to you.

There is a movie of the same name filmed in 1953 that is unrelated to the book, and there is a new review of the movie on imdb.com that is an education in itself.

It is worth your time, and a bargain at a price of free.
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Pamela Kille
4.0 out of 5 stars If you like tales of the British Raj- enjoy!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2013
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King of the Khyber Rifles won't rank among the greats of English literature, but it is an enjoyable romp through the myths of the British Empire's "glory days" before reality came crashing in. Written in 1916 and set in the period at the beginning of the First World War, it positively reeks with the "white man's burden" of maintaining rule over the benighted savages of India and Afghanistan. If you find that attitude offensive, even in its fictional form, you won't enjoy this book. Our brave hero, Athelstan King, is a secret agent sent up into the "Hills" (they always are put in quote marks) to head off an insurrection led by a mysterious woman known as Yasmini. It's interesting in part to read the book in light of current unrest in the same part of the world- somehow neither the British nor the Russians were able to subdue the Khyber Pass (the pass between India and Afghanistan), and now the US is having similar difficulties.
It's fun reading, if you don't take it too seriously. I first ran across it in the old Classics Illustrated comics. Not sure it qualifies as a "classic," but it certainly has enough intrigue, mystery, and atmosphere to carry the reader through.
4 people found this helpful
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N. Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars King -- of the Khyber Rifles
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016
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When asked about violence and sexual content, the reader must be aware that this book was copyrighted in 1916. Its writing and its content are marked by their time. So, if you like an elaborated and formal style of writing, it is great! If you like the more circumspect expressions of sex and violence, it's great! Talbot Mundy, the author, actually served in India, so this is his accounting of service in the British Empire at the end of the Great Game. It's all in the taste buds, folks.
2 people found this helpful
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Agim Zabeli
3.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff for Empire Fans
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2012
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Very good stuff. The setting is the ever-lively Northwest Frontier of British India and the time is during World War I. India is being denuded of British and Indian Regiments so they can go fight the Hun in Europe. In response Germany and Turkey are equipping the lawless tribes of "the Hills" for a jihad against the increasingly defenseless British Raj. The tribes are gathering, the mullahs are exhorting, the rumors are flying, and the government needs to know what's really going on. Something is supposedly happening in the "Heart of the Hills" but no white man even knows if there really is such a thing, or what it actually is if it exists. A mysterious woman of great beauty and dubious loyalty claims to know things and to have influence with the tribes, but she can't be trusted on her own. The government needs to send in a man. And that man is Athelstan King of the Secret Service, scion of a long line of British India officers. Cool, competent, incorruptible.

This is Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines" evolving into Fleming's "Dr. No". The beautiful, dangerous woman. The fantastic, mystical lair of the villains in the Khinjan Caves. His Majesty's man is on his own, surrounded by traitors and assassins. There's no one to trust and a mission to accomplish. And of course time is running out to save the Raj itself from certain destruction.

Mundey spent time in India, and it shows in the dialog, the characters, and their relationships. The free Kindle version is a scanned text with the usual typo and format issues but it's readable enough. Enjoyable reading.
7 people found this helpful
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Book Lover
4.0 out of 5 stars This isn't Tyrone Powers' King
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2012
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I saw this title and decided to give it a try. I had seen the movie King of the Khyber Rifles and wanted to read the story to see how it compared to the movie. Well there is a big difference. The book is only remotely like the movie. To go into details would spoil both movie and book. I did however enjoy the book. The story is set in India of the Raj at the beginning of World War I. King is sent on a mission to the Khyber Pass to stop possible rebellion among the hill tribesmen. So much for the plot anymore and I tell the whole story.

The author, Talbot Mundy, wrote this in the period of the Pulps. This is shown by the long passages, which are characteristic of writing from this period. If you are a fan of the Robert Howard non-Conan stories, which are set in a more modern era or a fan Kipling and his stories of India. Then by all means read King of the Khyber Rifles. It will show the high adventure of the Pulp Era of story telling.
3 people found this helpful
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janemccoy
5.0 out of 5 stars King of the Khyber Rifles, purshased from Amazon
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2011
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This book impressed me when I was 15 years old. Was curious to see if I still felt that way as an adult. Five Stars, and I'm glad I now have it on my shelf. Thanks for making it so easy and fast.
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Tierney Wayne
1.0 out of 5 stars no-name publisher
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2017
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Don't buy the ripped off version from the public domain! The book is huge and floppy, the text is all messed up. No-name publisher. I'm sure the book will be great once I find a copy that's readable!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

geoff
4.0 out of 5 stars Written in 1916 and set in Afghanistan, this book ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2014
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Written in 1916 and set in Afghanistan, this book features Captain Athelstan King who is dispatched to the North West Frontier to keep tribesmen from a German supported invasion of British India. A well written bit of storywriting, this book combines a modern feel with a frequent use of "thou" for "you", something that gets a little wearing though presumably meant to reflect the use of the local patois. An enjoyable read from an era when supporting the British Empire was a natural position to take and where you fought as necessary to keep it.
Give it a go!
3 people found this helpful
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Mickey L
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2017
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