PIGSTICKING IN INDIA
Adventure—1911—April Article
SINGLE-HANDED YACHTING
Adventure—1911—July Article
THE PHANTOM BATTERY
Adventure—1911—August
THE BLOODING OF THE NINTH QUEEN'S OWN
Adventure—1911—December
FOR VALOUR
Adventure—1912—January
THE SOUL OF A REGIMENT
Adventure—1912—February
Reprinted: April 1917—November 1935—November 1940
(The Soul of A Regiment—BOOK)
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
(Adventure's Best Stories—1926—BOOK)
THE CHAPLAIN OF THE MULLINGARS
Adventure—1912—March
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
W. MAYES—THE AMAZING
Adventure—1912—April Article
THE QUEEN—GOD BLESS HER
Adventure—1912—May
T.C. ANSELL—ADVENTURER
Adventure—1912—June
THE COWARDS
Adventure—1912—July
THE PAYMENT OF QUINN'S DEBT
Adventure—1912—August
IN WINTER QUARTERS
Adventure—1912—September
THE MAN WHO SAW
Adventure—1912—October
HONOR
Adventure—1912—November
RABBIT
Adventure—1912—December
THREE HELIOS
Adventure—1913—January
A LOW-VELDT FUNERAL
Adventure—1913—February Article
FOR THE SALT WHICH HE HAD EATEN
Adventure—1913—March
(Told in the East—BOOK)
PRIVATE MURDOCH'S G.C.M.
Adventure—1913—April
THE GUZZLER'S GRAND PRIX
Adventure—1913—May
AT MANEUVERS
Adventure—1913—June
HOOKUM HAI
Adventure—1913—July
(Told in the East—BOOK)
THE CLOSED TRIAL OF WM. WALKER
Adventure—1913—August Article
THE LETTER OF HIS ORDERS
Adventure—1913—September
IN A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE
Adventure—1913—October
AN ARABIAN NIGHT
Adventure—1913—November
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
THE TEMPERING OF HARRY BLUNT
Adventure—1913—December
A SOLDIER AND A GENTLEMAN
Adventure—1914—January
FOR THE PEACE OF INDIA
Adventure—1914—February to April (Serial, 3 parts)
(Rung Ho—BOOK)
THE GENTILITY OF IKEY BLUMENDALL
Adventure—1914—June
GULBAZ AND THE GAME
Adventure—1914—July
THE SWORD OF ISKANDER
Adventure—1914—August
FOUL OF THE CZAR
Adventure—1914—September
"GO, TELL THE CZAR!"
Adventure—1914—October
KING DICK
Adventure—1914—November
LANCING THE WHALE
Adventure—1914—December
DISOWNED!
Adventure—1915—January
NO NAME
Adventure—1915—February
ON TERMS
Adventure—1915—March
MACHASSAN AH
Adventure—1915—April
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
(Told in the East—BOOK)
A TEMPORARY TRADE IN TITLES
Adventure—1915—May
THE DOVE WITH A BROKEN WING
Adventure—1915—June
THE WINDS OF THE WORLD
Adventure—1915—July to September (Serial 3 parts)
(The Winds of the World—BOOK)
A DROP OR TWO OF WHITE TUCKER'S TONGUE
Adventure—1916—February Anecdote
THE DAMNED OLD NIGGER
Adventure—1916—May
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
KING—OF THE KHYBER RIFLES
Everybody's—1916—May
(King—of the Khyber Rifles—BOOK)
HIRA SINGH'S TALE
Adventure—1917—October 18 to December 3 (Serial 4 parts)
(Hira Singh's Tale—BOOK)
BLIGHTY
Adventure—1918—August 18 Article
OAKES RESPECTS AN ADVERSARY
Adventure—1918—December 3
AMERICA HORNS IN
Adventure—1919—January 3
JACKSON TACTICS
Adventure—1919—February 18
HEINIE HORNS INTO THE GAME
Adventure—1919—March 18
THE END OF THE BAD SHIP BUNDESRATH
Adventure—1919—April 18
ON THE TRAIL OF TIPOO TIB
Adventure—1919—May 3 to July 18 (Serial 6 parts)
(The Ivory Trail—BOOK)
THE SHRIEK OF DUM
Adventure—1919—September 3
BARABBAS ISLAND
Adventure—1919—October 18
IN ALEPPO BAZAAR
Adventure—1919—December 18
THE EYE OF ZEITOON
Romance—1920—February
(The Eye of Zeitoon—BOOK)
GUNS OF THE GODS
Adventure—1921—March 3 to May 3 (Serial 5 parts)
(Guns of the Gods—BOOK)
THE ADVENTURE AT EL-KERAK
Adventure—1921—November 10
(Jimgrim and Allah's Peace—BOOK)
UNDER THE DOME OF THE ROCK
Adventure—1921—December 10
(Jimgrim and Allah's Peace—BOOK)
THE "IBLIS" AT LUDD
Adventure—1922—January 10
THE SEVENTEEN THIEVES OF EL-KALIL
Adventure—1922—February 20
(The Seventeen Thieves of El-Kalil—BOOK)
THE LION OF PETRA
Adventure—1922—March 10
(The Lion of Petra—BOOK)
THE HUNDRED DAYS
Adventure—1922—April 10
(The Hundred Days & The Woman Ayisha—BOOK)
THE WOMAN AYISHA
Adventure—1922—April 20
(The Hundred Days & The Woman Ayisha—BOOK)
(The Woman Ayisha—BOOK)
THE LOST TROOPER
Adventure—1922—May 30
(The Lost Trooper—BOOK)
THE KING IN CHECK
Adventure—1922—July 10
(The King in Check—BOOK)
A SECRET SOCIETY
Adventure—1922—August 10
MOSES & MRS. AINTREE
Adventure—1922—September 10
KHUFU'S REAL TOMB
Adventure—1922—October 10
(The Mystery of Khufu's Tomb—BOOK)
THE GRAY MAHATMA
Adventure—1922—November 10
Reprinted: Famous Fantastic Mysteries—1951—December
(The Caves of Terror—BOOK)
BENEFIT OF DOUBT
Adventure—1922—December 10
(Jungle Jest—BOOK)
TREASON
Adventure—1923—January 10
THE NINE UNKNOWN
Adventure—1923—March 20 to April 30 (Serial 5 parts)
(The Nine Unknown—BOOK)
DIANA AGAINST THE EPHESIANS
Adventure—1923—August 10
THE MARRIAGE OF MELDRUM STRANGE
Adventure—1923—October 10
(The Marriage of Meldrum Strange—BOOK)
MOHANNED'S TOOTH
Adventure—1923—December 10
OM; THE SECRET OF AHBOR VALLEY
Adventure—1924—October 10 to November 30 (Serial 6 parts)
(Om; the Secret of Ahbor Valley—BOOK)
TROS OF SAMOTHRACE
Adventure—1925—February 10
(Tros of Samothrace—BOOK)
THE ENEMY OF ROME
Adventure—1925—April 10
(Tros of Samothrace—BOOK)
PRISONERS OF WAR
Adventure—1925—June 10
(Tros of Samothrace—BOOK)
ADMIRAL OF CAESAR'S FLEET
Adventure—1925—October 10
(Tros of Samothrace—BOOK)
THE DANCING GIRLS OF GADES
Adventure—1925—December 10
(Tros of Samothrace—BOOK)
THE MESSENGER OF DESTINY
Adventure—1926—February 10, 20, 30 (Serial 3 parts)
(Tros of Samothrace—BOOK)
RAMSDEN
Adventure—1926—June 8 to August 8 (Serial 5 parts)
(The Devil's Guard—BOOK)
(Ramsden—BOOK)
THE FALLING STAR
Adventure—1926—October 23
(Caesar Dies—BOOK)
THE RED FLAME OF ERINPURA
Adventure—1927—January 1
(The Red Flame of Erinpura—BOOK)
WHEN TRAILS WERE NEW
Argosy-All-Story—1928—October 27 to December 1 (Serial 6 parts)
(The Gunga Sahib—BOOK)
(When Trails Were New—BOOK)
THE WHEEL OF DESTINY
Adventure—1928—November 1
(The Gunga Sahib—BOOK)
THE BIG LEAGUE MIRACLE
Adventure—1928—November 15
ON THE ROAD TO ALLAH'S HEAVEN
Adventure—1928—December 1
GOLDEN RIVER
Adventure—1929—January 1
A TUCKET OF DRUMS
Adventure—1929—February 1
HO FOR LONDON TOWN
Argosy-All-Story—1929—February 2 to February 23 (Serial 4 parts)
(W.H.—BOOK)
(The Queen's Warrant—POCKETBOOK)
IN OLD NARADA FORT
Adventure—1929—February 15
ASOKA'S ALIBI
Argosy-All-Story—March 9 to March 23—1929 (Serial 3 parts)
BY ALLAH WHO MADE TIGERS
Argosy-All-Story—1929—April 27 to May 11 (Serial 3 parts)
FLAME OF CRUELTY
Romance—1929—August
THE INVISIBLE GUNS OF KABUL
Adventure—1929—October 1 to December 1 (Serial 5 parts)
(Cock O' the North—BOOK)
CONSISTENT ANYHOW
Adventure—1930—February 1
THE AFFAIR AT KALIGAON
Argosy—1930—May 24 to June 7 (Serial 3 parts)
KING OF THE WORLD
Adventure—1930—November 15 to February 15, 1931 (Serial 7 parts)
(Jimgrim—BOOK)
ELEPHANT SAHIB
Argosy—1930—December 6 to January 10, 1931 (Serial 6 parts)
BLACK FLAG
Adventure—1931—May 1
THE MAN ON THE MAT
Adventure—1931—August 1
THE BABU
Adventure—1931—October 1
THE EYE TEETH OF O'HARA
Adventure—1931—November 1
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
CASE 13
Adventure—1932—January 1
CHULLUNDER GHOSE, THE GUILELESS
Adventure—1932—March 1
WATU (a reminiscence)
Adventure—1932—April 1
WHITE TIGERS
Adventure—1932—August 1 to August 15 (Serial 2 parts)
C.I.D.
Adventure—1933—March 1 to April 15 (Serial 4 parts)
(C.I.D.—BOOK)
THE MAN FROM POONCH
Argosy—1933—June 17
(The Valiant View—BOOK)
THE RED SEA CARGO
Adventure—1933—August
MILK OF THE MOON
Argosy—1933—September 17
CAMERA
Argosy—1934—January 6
THE GODS SEEM CONTENTED
Argosy—1934—September 15
BENGAL REBELLION
Blue Book—1935—January
BATTLE STATIONS
Adventure—1935—May 1
(Purple Pirate—BOOK)
CLEOPATRA'S PROMISE
Adventure—1935—June 15
(Purple Pirate—BOOK)
PURPLE PIRATE
Adventure—1935—August 15
(Purple Pirate—BOOK)
FLEETS OF FIRE
Adventure—1935—October 1
(Purple Pirate—BOOK)
THE WOLF OF THE PASS
All Aces—1936—Hay
THE ELEPHANT WAITS
Short Stories—1937—February 25
COMPANION IN ARMS
Adventure—1937—November
ROMAN HOLIDAY
Golden Fleece—1938—October
THE NIGHT THE CLOCKS STOPPED
Adventure—1941—March
ODDS ON THE PROPHET
Short Stories—1941—August 10
FULL MOON
Famous Fantastic Mysteries—1953—February
(Full Moon—BOOK)
(There Was A Door—BOOK)
Written under the pen-name of WALTER GALT these tales of Billy Blain, pugilist—all from Adventure Magazine
THE GONER 1912—February
THE SECOND RUNG 1912—June
DORG'S LUCK 1912—August
ACROSS THE COLOR LINE 1912—October
LOVE AND WAR 1912—November
THE TOP OF THE LADDER 1912—December
ONE YEAR LATER 1913—February
NOTHING DOING 1914—September
THE RETURN OF BILLY BLAIN 1914—November
BILLY BLAIN EATS BISCUITS 1916—January
BILLY BLAIN'S ONIONS AND GARLIC 1916—February
Two articles under this pen-name
FRANCIS BANNERMAN—A MAN OF MYSTERY & HISTORY 1912—May
ELEPHANT HUNTING FOR A LIVING 1912—July
His sagas; with a story sequence of various characters by Dr. J. Lloyd Eaton
Talbot Mundy was a prolific writer of historical tales and stories of adventure-intrigue, his particular forte being tales of India and the Near East. Twelve of his novels are listed in THE CHECKLIST OF FANTASTIC LITERATURE, with themes of mysticism, black versus white magic, lost-race, and even true science fiction. Many others of his stories are borderline fantastics.
In the field of fantastic literature his works are highly prized (often highly priced, also) and many such readers find, possibly to their surprise, that they also enjoy his other stories. This may be due in some part to the fact that Mundy used the same characters over and over again, in novels in which each played the lead and as sub-characters in other novels. One keeps meeting old friends.
This leads to one difficulty in reading Mundy, however. If one is going to meet these characters, it is much more enjoyable to watch them develop from birth, so to speak—and not vice versa, like coming into a theatre in the middle of the picture. But, a reading sequence is a real difficulty. Each story is complete in itself, but the characters are re-shuffled into various combinations and any one of them may, and does, strike off into a novel of his own, only to reappear at a later date in some combination with other such characters. It is confusing, to say the least. To add to the confusion, all or nearly all of Mundy's stories first appeared in magazines, largely in Adventure, but later in Argosy. As his popularity grew, his older stories were republished in book form, as well as each of his new novels, so that the date of publication of his books means nothing as far as reading chronology is concerned.
Before going any further, it may be interesting to digress a bit, and consider some of his earlier stories in Adventure Magazine, and more particularly as they apply to his books. No attempt is being made to give a complete listing of his magazine stories here. Adventure Magazine began publication in November 1910, but the earliest issue that I have for reference is that of August 1911. This contains a short story by Mundy, "The Phantom Battery." By this time he was publishing five to eight short stories per year. These early stories were mostly about the British Army and the most important was his "The Soul of A Regiment," (February 1913) a tale of native troops in the ill-fated first expedition against the Dervishes in Egypt, with a surprise, terrific, ending. This story was published as a book, "The Soul of A Regiment," (Alex Dulfer, San Francisco, 1925) and was anthologized by Arthur Sullivant Hoffman in "Adventure's Beet Stories—1926" (Doran, New York, 1926). It was reprinted in Adventure Magazine in April 1917 and followed next month be a sequel, "The Damned Old Nigger." Three of his early novelettes (1913), "Hookum Hai," "For the Salt He Had Eaten," and "Machassan Ah," will be found in the book "Told in the East," (Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis, 1920). The first two concern the Sepoy Revolt and the third is a humorous story of the British Navy. All are good tales. The characters in the latter appear also in "An Arabian Night" (Adventure, November 1913). The first of his Indian hillman type stories is probably the short novel "The Letter of His Orders" (Adventure, September 1913). His first serial, "For the Peace of India" (Adventure, February to April 1914) was published in the book "Rung Ho" (Scribners, New York, 1914) and is another good story of the Sepoy Rebellion. In January and July 1914, appeared two stories about the Princess Yasmini, a character that he used extensively in later novels—as the lead, with King, with Ranjoor Singh, and in the Jimgrim-Ramsden saga. The first of his sagas (Dick Anthony of Arran) was never published in book form. This series included eight novelettes and short novels, enough to fill four or five books, and appeared in successive issues of Adventure Magazine, beginning August 1914. These were very good adventure tales of a Scotch gentleman fighting for Iran against Old Russia, but are rather dated now. Following this, most of his novels appeared first in a magazine and were then immediately published in book form.
This brings us to the "Jimgrim-Ramsden Saga," the greatest of them all. If the early (and later) development of the associated characters is added, it continues through twenty-one books (twenty-two novels), and fifteen books (sixteen novels) for the actual Jimgrim-Ramsden stories. This is not counting some eighteen novelettes and novels found in magazines only.
This Saga, in the main, is the story of James Schuyler Grim, (Jimgrim) a remarkable characterization, beginning as an American "Lawrence in Arabia" and evolving into a human but unapproachable high priest of the occult. There is Jeff Ramsden, the strong man and his closest friend, who with the Australian, Jeremy Ross, make up the triumvirate of Grim, Ross, and Ramsden, with their henchman Narayan Singh, the indomitable Sikh. (Who cuts throats with an outward thrust.) Later the multimillionaire, Meldrum Strange, hires them to fight evil. Then, Athelbert King, a hero of novels in his own right, joins up, making a quartet. Other characters from Mundy's novels appear—the seductive and dangerous Princess Yasmini; Cotswold Ommony, the forester of India; the Babu, Chullunder Ghose; the Gunga Sahib, and O'Hara.
His sagas
For an interesting reading sequence, the following is suggested. *** means excellent escapist reading—and fantastic (***) means excellent escapist reading—not fantastic Numbers indicate a book Indented numbers with letter mean magazine only Major characters, and their appearances, follow each title (Ramsden tells many of the stories and is not listed except as necessary to connect the series.)
JIMGRIM-RAMSDEN, et al, Saga
(***) 1. GUNS OF THE GODS (Bobbs-Merrill)
Yasmini 1.
(***) 1a. A SOLDIER AND A GENTLEMAN (Adventure January 1914)
Yasmini 2.
(***) 1b. GULBAZ AND THE GAME (Adventure July 1914)
Yasmini 3.
(***) 2. THE WINDS OF THE WORLD (Cassell)
Yasmini 4. Ranjoor Singh 1.
(***) 3. HIRA SINGH (Bobbs-Merrill)
Ranjoor Singh 2.
*** 4. KING—OF THE KHYBER RIFLES (Bobbs-Merrill)
King 1. Yasmini 5.
(***) 5. JIMGRIM AND ALLAH'S PEACE (Appleton-Century)
Jimgrim 1.
(***) 5a. THE "IBLIS" AT LUDD (Adventure 1/10/22)
Jimgrim 2.
(***) 6. TEE SEVENTEEN THIEVES OF EL-KALIL (Hutchinson)
Jimgrim 3.
(***) 7. THE LION OF PETRA (Appleton-Century)
Jimgrim 4.
(***) 8. THE WOMAN AYISHA (see THE HUNDRED DAYS—Century)
Jimgrim 5.
(***) 9. THE LOST TROOPER (Hutchinson)
Jimgrim 6.
(***) 10. THE KING IN CHECK (Appleton-Century)
Jimgrim 7.
*** 10a. A SECRET SOCIETY (Adventure 8/10/22)
Strange 1. Jimgrim 8.
*** 10b. MOSES AND MRS AINTREE (Adventure 1/10/22)
Strange 2. Jimgrim 9.
*** 11. THE MYSTERY OF KHUFU'S TOMB (Appleton-Century)
Strange 3. Jimgrim 10.
*** 12. THE CAVES OF TERROR (Hutchinson)
Yasmini 6. Strange 4. Ramsden King 2.
(**) 13. JUNGLE JEST (Century)
Ommony 1. King 3.
(**) 14. THE MARRIAGE OF MELDRUM STRANGE (Hutchinson)
Ramsden Strange 5. Ommony 2. Chullunder Ghose 1.
** 15. OM; THE SECRET OF AHBOR VALLEY (Bobbs-Merrill)
Ommony 3.
(***) 16. THE HUNDRED DAYS (Century)
Jimgrim 11. King 4.
*** 17. THE NINE UNKNOWN (Bobbs-Merrill)
Chullunder Ghose 2. Jimgrim 12. King 5.
*** 18. THE DEVIL'S GUARD (Bobbs-Merrill)
Chullunder Ghose 3. Jimgrim 13.
*** 19. JIMGRIM (Century)
Chullunder Ghose 4. Jimgrim 14.
(***) 20. THE GUNGA SAHIB (Appleton-Century)
Chullunder Ghose 5. Quern 1.
(***) 20a. THE WHEEL OF DESTINY (Adventure 11/1/28) (This is roughly the same as the first four chapters of "The Gunga Sahib" From there on, any relationship between the book and the magazine stories seems to be coincidental.)
(***) 20b. THE BIG LEAGUE MIRACLE (Adventure 11/15/28)
Quorn 2.
(**) 20c. ON TEE ROAD TO ALLAH'S HEAVEN (Adventure 12/1/28)
Quorn 3.
(**) 20d. GOLDEN RIVER (Adventure I/1/29)
Quorn 4.
(**) 20e. A TUCKET OF DRUMS (Adventure 2/1/29)
Quorn 5.
(***) 20f. IN OLD NARADA FORT (Adventure 2/15/29)
Quorn 6.
(***) 20g. ASOKA'S ALIBI (Argosy, 3 parts 3/9/29)
Quorn 7.
(***) 20h. THE AFFAIR AT KALIGAON (Argosy, 3 parts 5/24/30)
Quorn 8.
(***) 21. C.I.D. (Century)
Chullunder Ghose 6.
(**) 21a. THE BABU (Adventure 10/1/31)
Chullunder Ghose 7. O'Hara 1.
(**) 21b. THE EYE TEETH OF O'HARA (Adventure 11/15/31)
O'Hara 2.
(***) 21c. CASE 13 (Adventure I/1/32)
O'Hara 3. Chullunder Ghose 8.
(***) 21d. CHULLUNDER, THE GUILELESS (Adventure 3/1/32)
Chullunder Ghose 9.
(**) 22. THE RED FLAME OF ERINPURA (Hutchinson)
Chullunder Ghose 10.
MONTE, et al, Saga
(**) a. CAKES RESPECTS AN ADVERSARY (Adventure 12/3/18)
(***) b. AMERICA HORN IN (Adventure 1/3/19)
(***) c. JACKSON TACTICS (Adventure 2/18/19)
(***) d. HEINE HORNS INTO THE GAME (Adventure 3/18/19)
(***) e. THE END OF THE BAD SHIP BUNDESRATH (Adventure 4/18/19)
(***) 1. THE IVORY TRAIL (Bobbs-Merrill)
** 1a. THE SHRIEK OF DUM (Adventure 9/3/19)
*** 1b. BARABBAS ISLAND (Adventure 10/18/19)
(**) 1c. IN ALEPPO BAZAAR (Adventure 1/19/20)
(***) 2. THE EYE OF ZEITOON (Bobbs-Merrill)
TROS Saga
*** 1. TROS OF SAMOTHRACE (Appleton-Century)
*** 2. QUEEN CLEOPATRA (Bobbs-Merrill)
(***) 3. PURPLE PIRATE (Appleton-Century)
A final note from the editor. Three other books by Mundy are classed as fantasy, and, though not connected with the above sagas, are worthy of mention as fantastic.
*** 1. BLACK LIGHT (Bobbs-Merrill)
*** 2. FULL MOON (Appleton-Century)
*** 3. THE THUNDER DRAGON GATE (Appleton-Century)
Good luck and best wishes to anyone so influenced by this listing as to attempt collecting these stories. A full purse will help.