roseofsharon: To the OP....
The book is commonly regarded as a children's book, though it, in fact, has many political inferences. There is also thought to be many elements of inspiration for the book resulting from the taking of hallucingenic drugs commonly used at that time. Other books such as "Alice in Wonderland" are also believed to stem from the author's "less lucid" moments....
It is a great book.... you should read it!!
Mr Swift got the idea for the book while sitting on the CaveHill on the outskirts of North Belfast many moons ago and it's origin's had nothing to do with LSD.....
From my good friend Mr Wikipedia...
Composition and historyIt is uncertain exactly when Swift started writing Gulliver's Travels, but some sources suggest as early as 1713 when Swift, Gay, Pope, Arbuthnott and others formed the Scriblerus Club, with the aim of satirising then-popular literary genres. Swift, runs the theory, was charged with writing the memoirs of the club's imaginary author, Martinus Scriblerus. It is known from Swift's correspondence that the composition proper began in 1720 with the mirror-themed parts I and II written first, Part IV next in 1723 and Part III written in 1724, but amendments were made even while Swift was writing Drapier's Letters.
By August 1725 the book was completed, and as Gulliver's Travels was a transparently anti-Whig satire it is likely that Swift had the manuscript copied so his handwriting could not be used as evidence if a prosecution should arise (as had happened in the case of some of his Irish pamphlets). In March 1726 Swift travelled to London to have his work published; the manuscript was secretly delivered to the publisher Benjamin Motte, who used five printing houses to speed production and avoid piracy. Motte, recognising a bestseller but fearing prosecution, simply cut or altered the worst offending passages (such as the descriptions of the court contests in Lilliput or the rebellion of Lindalino), added some material in defense of Queen Anne to book II, and published it anyway. The first edition was released in two volumes on October 26, 1726, priced 8s. 6d. The book was an instant sensation and sold out its first run in less than a week..............