What do you think?
Rate this book
Sam Durell #29
Assignment White Rajah
Someone was stealing American fighter planes. Not one at a time once in a while but in groups. More than a dozen Thrashers were missing from Southeast Asia and Durell is sent in to find out who and direct American forces in to recover them.
- GenresEspionage
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
35 people want to read
About the author
Edward S. Aarons
264 books17 followersAKA Paul Ayres, Edward Ronns.
Edward Sidney Aarons (September 11, 1916 - June 16, 1975) was an American writer, author of more than 80 novels from 1936 until 1962. One of these was under the pseudonym "Paul Ayres" (Dead Heat), and 30 were written using the name "Edward Ronns". He also wrote numerous articles for detective magazines such as Detective Story Magazine and Scarab.
Aarons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned a degree in Literature and History from Columbia University. He worked at various jobs to put himself through college, including jobs as a newspaper reporter and fisherman. In 1933, he won a short story contest as a student. In World War II he was in the United States Coast Guard, joining after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He finished his duty in 1945, having obtained the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
Edward Sidney Aarons (September 11, 1916 - June 16, 1975) was an American writer, author of more than 80 novels from 1936 until 1962. One of these was under the pseudonym "Paul Ayres" (Dead Heat), and 30 were written using the name "Edward Ronns". He also wrote numerous articles for detective magazines such as Detective Story Magazine and Scarab.
Aarons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned a degree in Literature and History from Columbia University. He worked at various jobs to put himself through college, including jobs as a newspaper reporter and fisherman. In 1933, he won a short story contest as a student. In World War II he was in the United States Coast Guard, joining after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He finished his duty in 1945, having obtained the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 7, 2021
This type genre fiction, of course, follows a formula. What makes for good genre fiction, however, is how an author can add a flourish, a special little insight, something distinctive, and maybe a development or two that provide for some uniqueness as well. Aarons does just that in Assignment Rajah, yet another book I picked up merely because the title grabbed my attention. Here, his formula and its application is similar to a later work to follow in 1972, Assignment Bangkok. It's starts out in a klong and a claustrophobic, humid, dark house along the waterfront, moves on to an appealing Asian femme fatale, along with a brutish Asiatic torturer, and ends up running into the mountains to uncover a Communist plot to steal US fighter bombers and unleash them on an unsuspecting Malaysian city. The unsavory group is something called the Pao Thet, which presumably is an intentional mangling of the Pathet Lao, which also appear in Assignment Bangkok.
This novel, still, is a bit better than will be Assignment Bangkok. Aarons incorporates some little known Malaysian history into his tale with the story of the White Rajahs, who actually did exist. They ruled, however, in Sarawak, on Borneo. So Aarons' novel has the feel of a fictional setting combining both Sarawak and Penang, on the Malay peninsula. It's a clever trick. And it works quite well. Engrossing story, right to the end. And the little thing that makes Assignment White Rajah special? Perhaps the sense of jaded corruption and indifference that infiltrates a large bureaucracy such as the CIA. All this before Watergate and before the Church Committee.
This novel, still, is a bit better than will be Assignment Bangkok. Aarons incorporates some little known Malaysian history into his tale with the story of the White Rajahs, who actually did exist. They ruled, however, in Sarawak, on Borneo. So Aarons' novel has the feel of a fictional setting combining both Sarawak and Penang, on the Malay peninsula. It's a clever trick. And it works quite well. Engrossing story, right to the end. And the little thing that makes Assignment White Rajah special? Perhaps the sense of jaded corruption and indifference that infiltrates a large bureaucracy such as the CIA. All this before Watergate and before the Church Committee.
May 16, 2018
I'd not heard of Edward S. Aarons and his "Assignment" series featuring CIA agent Sam Durell, but after reading this short novel (#29, 1970) I'll likely track down a few more. Very good pulp adventure - exotic setting, Malaysia during Viet Nam war; believable plot, stolen jet aircraft and communist infiltrators; good characterization, though the dialog can be a bit clipped and noirish (it is a pulp novel after all). Durell has a strong moral compass but like Bond, gets the girl in the end.
Aarons evidently wrote over 80 novels, 42 in this Assignment series starting in the 1950s, before his death in 1975. A lot of the cover art hints at titillating subject matter but really there isn't anything in there you'd have to read with a flashlight under the covers. And in this book there were hardly any vulgarities, a writing technique I appreciate. You just don't need to drop those kind of word bombs. I'd give this outing a 4 1/2 stars. Really enjoyed it.
Aarons evidently wrote over 80 novels, 42 in this Assignment series starting in the 1950s, before his death in 1975. A lot of the cover art hints at titillating subject matter but really there isn't anything in there you'd have to read with a flashlight under the covers. And in this book there were hardly any vulgarities, a writing technique I appreciate. You just don't need to drop those kind of word bombs. I'd give this outing a 4 1/2 stars. Really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews