Anna And The King Of Siam

by Landon, Margaret

• ISBN13: 9780060954888
• ISBN10: 0060954884
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-17
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Margaret Landon (1903-1993) lived in the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for ten years. Fluent in Thai, she extensively researched the story of Anna Leonowens and the history of the Siamese government and culture.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Bangkok, 1862	1	(3)
From Wales to India	4	(8)
The Astrologer's Prophecy	12	(5)
A King's Letter	17	(7)
The First Night	24	(7)
The Kralahome	31	(10)
The Kralahome's Household	41	(11)
The Mattoons	52	(5)
The First Audience with the King	57	(7)
The Cremation of a Queen	64	(7)
In the King's Harem	71	(11)
The New Home	82	(13)
The School in the Palace	95	(9)
The Red Snake	104	(8)
The Palace City	112	(9)
Moonshee Digs for Treasure	121	(6)
The King's English	127	(19)
Lady Son Klin in the Dungeon	146	(7)
The King's Breakfast	153	(14)
The Mansion of the Brass Door	167	(14)
A Slave Is Freed	181	(8)
The Death of the Fa-ying	189	(9)
The King's Spectacles	198	(9)
The King's Birthday	207	(10)
A Baby Is Auctioned	217	(14)
Royal Locusts	231	(8)
The Service in the Temple	239	(10)
The Affair of the Gambling Concubine	249	(12)
L'Affaire Francaise	261	(10)
The Slave Tuptim	271	(10)
The King's Vengeance	281	(15)
The Death of the High Priest	296	(7)
The Prince's Tonsure	303	(8)
The Death of the Second King	311	(11)
The Mysterious Princess	322	(7)
The Red Velvet Letter	329	(13)
The Trip to Paklat	342	(16)
The Princess of Chiengmai	358	(18)
The Shadow Before	376	(11)
Fulfillment	387