TOPIC:

"KRUGER'S GOLD: A novel of the Anglo-Boer War." A military/adventure historical novel -- follows a mounted patrol of hard-bitten British Colonial troo as a pers into the veld to recover $15-million worth of gold bullion taken by Transvaal President Paul Kruger. It also follows the valiant Boer commandos who oppose them. As a matter of passing interest, a free preview of my novel KRUGER'S GOLD is now also available on-line in a Kindle edition:

James,

I have heard other people respond in a similar way to this book.

Where will you turn for your next read?

Best wishes
David

Breaker,

What do you think of these historical novels?

I'm rather confused with this, whilst I do understand it is a novel, but, I would not expect the writer to change history, the clue is in the title, so your use of the word "recover" do you actually mean steal?

Breaker wrote: "KRUGER'S GOLD: A novel of the Anglo-Boer War." A military/adventure historical novel -- follows a mounted patrol of hard-bitten British Colonial troo as a pers into the veld to recover $15-million worth of gold bullion taken by Transvaal President Paul Kruger. It also follows the valiant Boer commandos who oppose them. As a matter of passing interest, a free preview of my novel KRUGER'S GOLD is now also available on-line in a Kindle edition:

Good Morning Everyone.....

I originally thought that this section was going to be only for non-fiction but with a good fiction book thrown in I like it quite a bit better......

I would like to throw my hat into the ring then with a novel that I quite enjoyed.....

And I quote the review that has been published.....

The funny thing is that I have the medals on two people mentioned in the book and in fact one of the main stars of the story......

Mike

From award-winning author Fred Stenson comes a richly evocative new novel, at once brutal and tender, spare of language, and profoundly moving.

The Great Karoo begins in 1899, as the British are trying to wrest control of the riches of South Africa from the Boers, the Dutch farmers who claimed the land. The Boers have turned out to be more resilient than expected, so the British have sent a call to arms to their colonies — and an a great number of men from the Canadian prairies answer the call and join the Canadian Mounted Rifles: a unit in which they can use their own beloved horses. They assume their horses will be able to handle the desert terrain of the Great Karoo as readily as the plains of their homeland. Frank Adams, a cowboy from Pincher Creek, joins the Rifles, along with other young men from the ranches and towns nearby — a mix of cowboys and mounted policeman, who, for whatever reason, feel a desire to fight for the Empire in this far-off war.

Against a landscape of extremes, Frank forms intense bonds with Ovide Smith, a French cowboy who proves to be a reluctant soldier, and Jefferson Davis, the nephew of a prominent Blood Indian chief, who is determined to prove himself in a “white man’s war.” As the young Canadians engage in battle with an entrenched and wily enemy, they are forced to realize the bounds of their own loyalty and courage, and confront the arrogance and indifference of those who have led them into conflict. For Frank, disillusionment comes quickly, and his allegiance to those from the Distict of Alberta, soon displaces any sense of patriotism to Canada or Britain, or belief that he’s fighting for a just cause.

The events of the novel follow the trajectory of the war. The British strategy of burning Boer farms, destroying herds, and moving Boer families into camps weakens the Boer rebels, but they refuse to give up. The thousands of Boer women and children who die in the camp make the war ever more unpopular among liberals in Britain. (In fact, this conflict marked the first use of the term “concentration camp” in war.) Seeing the ramifications of such short-sighted military decisions, and how they affect what happens to Frank and the other Canadians, is crucial to depicting the reality of the Boer War. By focusing on the experiences of a small group of men from southern Alberta, Fred Stenson brings the reality of what it would have been like to be a soldier in this brutal war to vivid life.

The Great Karoo is a deeply satisfying novel, marked by the complexities of its plot, the subtleties of its relationships, and the scale of its terrain. Exhilarating and gruesome by turns, it explores with passion and insight the lasting warmth of friendship and the legacy of devastation occasioned by war.


Can be found on Amazon:

www.amazon.ca/The-Great-Karoo-Fred-Stenson/dp/0385664060

Forum members
I found this one in a bookshop whilst in Tasmania recently. A trifle worn cover but very sound inside. Quite a good read (atmospheric) and I would guess that the text has been extensively mined for incidents by other authors. The book only cost the equivalent of fifteen quid; probably a bit less than the favourite auction site with swingeing postage from UK.
I realise that most "regulars" will have a copy or know if it. Newer members, however, might relish a first-hand account.
Regards to all
IL.