Product Description

A matchless evocation of the British Army in India on the eve of its last campaign.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #248035 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-13
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
John Masters was a soldier before he became a novelist. Born in India, he was sent to England to complete his education before attending Sandhurst. It was there the rumour began about his ancestry, that (in the language of the time) he 'had a touch of the tarbrush'. This encounter with racist bigotry would be turned to good effect in his most famous novel, BHOWANI JUNCTION (later filmed with Stewart Granger and Ava Gardner). At Sandhurst it just made him more determined to succeed. John Masters joined a Gurhka regiment on receiving his commission, and his depiction of garrison life and campaigning on the North-West Frontier has never been surpassed.

About the Author
John Masters was commissioned into the Gurkha Rifles on the eve of the Second World War and rose to command one of the Chindit columns fighting behind the lines against the Japanese in Burma. He left the Army after the war to pursue a very profitable career as a novelist.

Customer Reviews

bugles and a tiger
Is the story of one man grappling to come to terms with command, and not a normal command but the command of a Company of Gurkhas [namely A Company of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Prince of Wales Own Gurkha Rifles].

In 1933 John Masters moves from Wellington to Sandhurst and then after training to India and a brief stay of further education with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, and then on to the 2/4 PWOGR, here he takes command of a Rifle Company as it maintains order on the edge of the Empire. Imperial Policing at its zenith, this is a remarkable insight to the North West Frontier of the time [although not much seems to have changed] and the clashes with the Pathans tribesmen. Masters learns his trade under the watchful eye of his Commanding Officer, and on the brink of the Second World War, he is the Adjutant of the Battalion ready to see further action in an all too different clash of arms.

An excellent recollection, lovingly written of the old Indian Army, by someone who learnt his trade on one of the remotest outpost of Empire. Recommended to anyone who has an interest in Military History or is about to take up unit command themselves.

G LONG
2007

A revisit after forty years.
I first read this on recommendation, while serving with the British Army in Malaya in the mid sixties. It was a good read then for a twenty year old, but re-reading it some forty years later was a wonderful surprise. What an eye opener it would be for young officers now to see how officers had to live for their foreseeable lives (and enjoyed it!), and although there is undoubtedly a job to be done in the modern army in some extremely tough places, there is no doubt that this era was tough and ugly. But in the company of those wonderful Gurkhas, some some fun could be had too. As a fellow rifleman of a sister regiment it was a joy to re-read, but anyone with an interest in military history, or simply wanting to read a true story of someone telling their story of a fascinating life could do no better than to read this. I look forward to reading the next part of this fascinating autobiography; The Road Past Mandalay.

A truely wonderful book
Even if you have only the most passing interest in history this is one of those rare books that you should not leave un-read.

Masters recounts, in beautiful style, his passage through the RMC Sandhurst and on to becoming a subaltern in 2/4 Ghurkha Rifles on India's Northwest frontier. But this is no ordinary story about a toff fagging and hurrahing his way through life, rather it is an evocative self-study set against the backdrop of interwar Britain and India.

In his descriptions of India it becomes clear how in love Masters was with the country and the people and especially with his beloved Ghurkhas. Though this is not to suggest he expresses or represents some outdated colonial view, his love of the Ghurkhas was reciprocal and if it may at times seem paternalistic, it is in that he demonstrates the very essence of a good young officer, genuine care and very deep respect for his men.

This book is also alive with individual cameos of the Ghurkha officers and men with whom Masters served and allows the reader rare insight in to the life of an Indian Army regiment before the second world war. This book is also richly veined with humour and you are likely to find yourself frequently laughing out loud at exploits such as 'mess mountaineering'.

This book should be obligatory reading at Sandhurst as it is full of lessons for would-be officers, but is also obligatory reading for anyone with an interest in history, military or otherwise, travel or biography.