War Clouds Gather

Frontier #8

by Peter Watt

Against the backdrop of impending war and the rise of the Nazi Party, the epic saga of the Macintosh and Duffy families continues.

It's 1936. While Europe is starting to feel the shadow of the upcoming turmoil, George Macintosh is determined to keep control of his business empire. He takes extreme measures to prevent his nephew David from taking a seat on the Board. Meanwhile, George's son Donald is packed off to the family station Glen View in Northern Queensland in an effort to curb his excesses.

In Iraq, Captain Matthew Duffy doesn't escape the stain of growing fanaticism. Recruited by British Intelligence, he once more faces a German enemy, although this one has a more pleasing aspect. Matthew is confused by his attraction to Diane and finds himself having to make a hard decision. And just as he is coming to terms with his choice, he meets his estranged son, James Barrington Jnr.

In the middle of all this upheaval, the two families experience loss, love, greatness and tragedy, and find themselves brought closer together and pulled further apart. Romance blooms in the unlikeliest of hearts under the gathering clouds of war.

Genres: Historical Fiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Peter Watt's life experiences have included time as a soldier, articled clerk to a solicitor, prawn trawler deckhand, builder's labourer, pipe layer, real estate salesman, private investigator, police sergeant and adviser to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. He has lived and worked with Aborigines, Islanders, Vietnamese and Papua New Guineans.


He speaks, reads and writes Vietnamese and Pidgin - and has a reasonable grasp of the English language. He currently lives in Maclean, on the Clarence River in Northern NSW.

Good friends, fine food, fishing and the vast open spaces of outback Queensland are his main interests in life. He also enjoys SCUBA diving, military history, crosswords (but not the cryptic kind) and teaching.

He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the Australian Society of Authors.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (University of Tasmania), Post Graduate Diploma of Training & Development (University of New England) and an Associate Diploma of Justice Administration (Sturt University).

Reviews

[Neville · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Watt book that I have read and as for the first one, this keeps you enthralled from cover to cover.
Again, the Duffys and Macintoshes cross paths on a number of occasions from France, Spain, England, Middle East and Australia. Some will die and others live to continue the respective family names.
The Nazi's are trying to infiltrate the Middle East to cause havoc for the British, especially with the oil wells, but they do not take into account Captain Matthew Duffy, especially when there is love involved.
Matthew meets his son for the first time in many years and they both realise that there is a bond that neither could foresee.
The story has a lot of twist and turns, but it will keep you entertained for the whole journey.

[Joy Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book .interesting to follow all the different characters their place n the family and businesses Matthew Duffy is recruited by British intelligence and faces a German enemy. He meets his estranged son James while on these missions and it is the first time he has seen him since his birth. James wants to ge to know his father and does this over time and turns to love him.
In Sydney George is continuing to grow the Macintosh empire through any way he can his son Donald is sent to glenview as a punishment however this turns out to be a great experience for Donald. Through all this time and family events there is a gathering ready for war. Great book

[Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a good old-fashioned adventure and Australian family characters story, with an aviation setting between the wars.

[John Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

Great story following the adventures and tragedy of a family density well worth the read. The twist and turns of two families

[Nigel Copeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The battle arises

Who will be left to go to war. Another great story by this author hence the 5 stars. Who has not survived this story you will have to read the book to find out.

[Margaret Stickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and keeps you on your toes

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook.
Number 8 in the Frontier series.
They all work as stand alone books but it is a good series to follow.

[Robert Borg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it hard getting into it, until I realised the reason was that this book was the latest in a saga which had a few books before it.

It was only when I became familiar with the characters that I truly began to appreciate the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

The trouble is I will now have to start from the first book in the series to find out how it all came together.

Thanks Peter Watt... keep them coming; I'd love to know how the next generation get on.

[Jacq · Rating 4 out of 5]

He is storyteller. And this is another brilliant tale, of the McIntosh and Duffy families. There isn't the detail of earlier tales as we move from the settings to the people and their stories, but you won’t be able to put it down if only to find out what happens next.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep them coming Peter - this was as great as the other 7 and I can't wait for the next one!

[Radoslav Vician · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do hope the saga continues. Well done...

[John Henshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. A liitle old world.