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Thunder at Sunset
The Queendom of Mingora, South-East Asia, 1950s.
An ancient state long linked by treaty of protection to the British Crown.
Brigadier David Jones is the new officer commanding British forces in Mingora, at what proves to be a time of acute crisis.
The aged Queen cannot live for long, and Communist terrorists are preparing invasion and rebellion.
The British presence is more critical now than ever.
But David, having to deal on his arrival with a mutiny in his command, is confronted with the realities of his government's policy of retreat 'East of Suez': the century-and-a-half-long treaty is to be abrogated unilaterally and the British troops withdrawn.
For Mingora, that will mean certain disaster.
But does David's duty lie to his civil superiors—immediately to Sidney Wilson, the Resident—or to the people of Mingora ?
And how far is his vision of his duty clouded by Princess Kumara, the heir to the throne, with whom he has fallen deeply in love?
'Thunder at Sunset' is a thrilling historical novel that deals with death, duty and honor.
An ancient state long linked by treaty of protection to the British Crown.
Brigadier David Jones is the new officer commanding British forces in Mingora, at what proves to be a time of acute crisis.
The aged Queen cannot live for long, and Communist terrorists are preparing invasion and rebellion.
The British presence is more critical now than ever.
But David, having to deal on his arrival with a mutiny in his command, is confronted with the realities of his government's policy of retreat 'East of Suez': the century-and-a-half-long treaty is to be abrogated unilaterally and the British troops withdrawn.
For Mingora, that will mean certain disaster.
But does David's duty lie to his civil superiors—immediately to Sidney Wilson, the Resident—or to the people of Mingora ?
And how far is his vision of his duty clouded by Princess Kumara, the heir to the throne, with whom he has fallen deeply in love?
'Thunder at Sunset' is a thrilling historical novel that deals with death, duty and honor.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1974
About the author
John Masters
169 books53 followersMasters was the son of a lieutenant-colonel whose family had a long tradition of service in the Indian Army. He was educated at Wellington and Sandhurst. On graduating from Sandhurst in 1933, he was seconded to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) for a year before applying to serve with the 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles. He saw service on the North-West Frontier with the 2nd battalion of the regiment, and was rapidly given a variety of appointments within the battalion and the regimental depot, becoming the Adjutant of the 2nd battalion in early 1939.
During World War II his battalion was sent to Basra in Iraq, during the brief Anglo-Iraqi War. Masters subsequently served in Iraq, Syria and Persia. In early 1942, he attended the Indian Army Staff College at Quetta. Here he met the wife of a fellow officer and began an affair. They were later to marry. This caused a small scandal at the time.
After Staff College he first served as Brigade Major in 114th Indian Infantry Brigade before being "poached" by "Joe" Lentaigne, another officer from 4th Gurkhas, to be Brigade Major in 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. From March, 1944, the brigade served behind the Japanese lines in Burma. On the death of General Orde Wingate on 24 April, Lentaigne became the Chindits' overall commander and Masters commanded the main body of 111 Brigade.
In May, the brigade was ordered to hold a position code-named ‘Blackpool’ near Mogaung in northern Burma. The isolated position was attacked with great intensity for seventeen days and eventually the brigade was forced to withdraw. Masters had to order the medical orderlies to shoot 19 of his own men, casualties who had no hope of recovery or rescue. Masters later wrote about these events in the second volume of his autobiography, The Road Past Mandalay.
After briefly commanding the 3rd battalion of his regiment, Masters subsequently became GSO1 (the Chief of Staff) of Indian 19th Infantry Division, which was heavily involved in the later stages of the Burma Campaign, until the end of the war. After a spell as a staff officer in GHQ India in Delhi, he then served as an instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberley. He left the army after this posting, and moved to the United States, where he attempted to set up a business promoting walking tours in the Himalayas, one of his hobbies. The business was not a success and, to make ends meet, he decided to write of his experiences in the army. When his novels proved popular, he became a full-time writer.
In later life, Masters and his wife Barbara moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. He died in 1983 from complications following heart surgery. His family and friends scattered his ashes from an aeroplane over the mountain trails he loved to hike. General Sir Michael Rose, the former UN commander in Bosnia, is a stepson of Masters.
During World War II his battalion was sent to Basra in Iraq, during the brief Anglo-Iraqi War. Masters subsequently served in Iraq, Syria and Persia. In early 1942, he attended the Indian Army Staff College at Quetta. Here he met the wife of a fellow officer and began an affair. They were later to marry. This caused a small scandal at the time.
After Staff College he first served as Brigade Major in 114th Indian Infantry Brigade before being "poached" by "Joe" Lentaigne, another officer from 4th Gurkhas, to be Brigade Major in 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. From March, 1944, the brigade served behind the Japanese lines in Burma. On the death of General Orde Wingate on 24 April, Lentaigne became the Chindits' overall commander and Masters commanded the main body of 111 Brigade.
In May, the brigade was ordered to hold a position code-named ‘Blackpool’ near Mogaung in northern Burma. The isolated position was attacked with great intensity for seventeen days and eventually the brigade was forced to withdraw. Masters had to order the medical orderlies to shoot 19 of his own men, casualties who had no hope of recovery or rescue. Masters later wrote about these events in the second volume of his autobiography, The Road Past Mandalay.
After briefly commanding the 3rd battalion of his regiment, Masters subsequently became GSO1 (the Chief of Staff) of Indian 19th Infantry Division, which was heavily involved in the later stages of the Burma Campaign, until the end of the war. After a spell as a staff officer in GHQ India in Delhi, he then served as an instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberley. He left the army after this posting, and moved to the United States, where he attempted to set up a business promoting walking tours in the Himalayas, one of his hobbies. The business was not a success and, to make ends meet, he decided to write of his experiences in the army. When his novels proved popular, he became a full-time writer.
In later life, Masters and his wife Barbara moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. He died in 1983 from complications following heart surgery. His family and friends scattered his ashes from an aeroplane over the mountain trails he loved to hike. General Sir Michael Rose, the former UN commander in Bosnia, is a stepson of Masters.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 14, 2015
Fabulous account of honour and duty in a world where both don't command any premium - Col. Masters recreates superbly the dying throes of an empire trying to cut its responsibilities in this tale of an imaginary Southeast Asian country threatened by communist subversion while the paramount power is set on withdrawing at any cost. But an unconventional brigade commander plays a masterful (excuse the pun) hand - right from quelling a near-mutiny in his formation at the very onset to crushing the incipient revolt - while foiling an arrogant, nearly unbalanced civilian superior and other intrigues but eventually at the cost of his career and future and is left high and dry at the end (and Brigadier David Jones is a character I can well empathise and identify with). And yes Col Masters draws on his own career to incorporate the activities of a Gurkha battalion.....
May 12, 2014
It's a good adventure story, political thriller if one will. Masters is not read as often as he ought to be. Nevertheless, three stars instead of four inasmuch as the romantic threads of the plot are not his strong point, even as the military and political excursions are.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews