Rudyard Kipling: Barrack Room Ballads and Other Poems

Rating:
Summary: A good woman is just a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.
Review: In this day of political correctness, it is interesting to note the lessons and ideas of days gone past. If this book were written today, it might be seen as "refreshing," but since the original poems were penned in the 19th century (many from much older sources) it is a reminder of how it used to be. "The Betrothed" is the genesis of the famous line "A good woman is just a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke." The ideas presented are shocking, but convey a healthy exploration of the question "What is love worth?" Other poems include a picture of colonial India, a father's advice to his son, and stories of wars long forgotten. This is probably a better book for a man than a woman, but in either case, a really good book to peruse while having a cheroot