Anna and the King of Siam (International Collectors Library)

442 pp. London Fleet Street replica binding. Red leatherette, gilt titles and decorations, ribbon marker bound in. Illustrated by Margaret Ayer. Inspiration for several film adaptations. "Anna Leonowens, a proper Englishwoman, was an unlikley candidate to change the course of Siamese (Thai) history. A young widow and mother, her services were engaged in the 1860's by King Mongkut of Siam to help him communicate with foreign governments and be the tutor to his children and favored concubines. Stepping off the steamer from London, Anna found herself in an exotic land she could have only dreamed of lush landscape of mystic faiths and curious people, and king's palace bustling with royal pageantry, ancient custom, and harems. One of her pupils, the young prince Chulalongkorn, was particularly influenced by Leonowens and her Western ideals. He learned about Abraham Lincoln and the tenets of democracy from her, and years later he would become Siam's most progressive king. He guided the country's transformation from a feudal state to a modern society, abolshing slavery and making many other radical reforms. Weaving meticulously researched facts with beautifully imagined scenes, Margret Landon recreates an unforgettable portrait of life in a forgotten extotic land. Written more than fifty years ago, and translated into dozens of languages, Anna and the King of Siam (the inspiration for the magical play and film The King and I)continues to delight and enchant readers around the world." Includes: Bangkok, 1862; From Wales to India; The Astrologer's Prophecy; A King's Letter; The First Night; The Kralahome; The Kralahome's Household; The Mattoons; The First Audience with the King; The Cremation of a Queen; In the King's Harem; The New Home; The School in the Palace; The Red Snake; The Palace City; Moonshee Digs for Treasure; The King's English; Lady Son Klin in the Dungeon; The King's Breakfast; The Mansion of the Brass Door; A Slave Is Freed; The Death of the Fa-ying; The King's Spectacles; The King's Birthday; A Baby Is Auctioned; Royal Locusts; The Service in the Temple; The Affair of the Gambling Concubine; L'Affaire Francaise; The Slave Tuptim; The King's Vengeance; The Death of the High Priest; The Prince's Tonsure; The Death of the Second King; The Mysterious Princess; The Red Velvet Letter; The Trip to Paklat; The Princess of Chiengmai; The Shadow Before; Fulfillment; Author's Note.