Anna and the King of Siam

Type
Book
ISBN 10
0060954884 
ISBN 13
9780060954888 
Category
Biography, History  [ Browse Items ]
Publication Year
1999 
Publisher
Pages
395 
Abstract
Anna Leonowens, a proper Englishwoman, was an unlikely candidate to change the course of Siamese (Thai) history. A young widow and mother, her services were engaged in the 1860s by King Mongkut of Siam to help him communicate with foreign governments and be the tutor to his children and favored concubines. 
Description
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 a 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, abolishing 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 exotic 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. 
Biblio Notes
Anna Leonowens (26 November 1831–19 January 1915) was a British travel writer, educator and social activist, known for working in Siam from 1862–1868, where she taught the wives and children of Mongkut, king of Siam. She is also known for co-founding the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Leonowens's experiences in Siam were fictionalised in Margaret Landon's 1944 bestselling novel Anna and the King of Siam and in various films and television miniseries based on the book, most notably Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1951 hit musical The King and I.  
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