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Red Ground: The Forgotten Conflict
Blood diamonds, oil, and a greedy dictator scar the landscape and citizens of West Africa in this action-packed military thriller.
"One minute, it is full of action, and you can practically feel the bullets whizzing past your ears. And then the mood becomes poignant..."
Disgraced and virtually bankrupt, ex-Sgt. Alex Dalloway joins the mercenary brigade tasked to protect the newly elected president of the illegal state of Salonga. But the promise of diamonds is only part of the attraction for Alex. Bent on avenging the deaths of his men, killed years ago in the jungles, Dalloway finds himself once again on the border of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
A greedy corporation lusting after mining rights, ruthless mercenaries, a madman hungry for power, and child soldiers converge to tell the tale of this bloody and horrifying part of West African history.
Get your copy and join this fast paced adventure into the dark side of AFRICA, where sometimes human life is the most invaluable commodity.
"One minute, it is full of action, and you can practically feel the bullets whizzing past your ears. And then the mood becomes poignant..."
Disgraced and virtually bankrupt, ex-Sgt. Alex Dalloway joins the mercenary brigade tasked to protect the newly elected president of the illegal state of Salonga. But the promise of diamonds is only part of the attraction for Alex. Bent on avenging the deaths of his men, killed years ago in the jungles, Dalloway finds himself once again on the border of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
A greedy corporation lusting after mining rights, ruthless mercenaries, a madman hungry for power, and child soldiers converge to tell the tale of this bloody and horrifying part of West African history.
Get your copy and join this fast paced adventure into the dark side of AFRICA, where sometimes human life is the most invaluable commodity.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2018
6 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Ken Fry
24 books235 followersKen Fry is a multi-award-winning British author known for his captivating storytelling and vivid imagination. With over a dozen published books under his belt, Fry has established himself as a prominent figure in the literary world. His attention to detail and extensive research ensure that readers are fully immersed in the world he has created.
He is now retired and devotes his full time to writing. He lives in the UK and shares his home with 'Dickens' his Shetland Sheepdog.
He is currently working on his next novel.
He is now retired and devotes his full time to writing. He lives in the UK and shares his home with 'Dickens' his Shetland Sheepdog.
He is currently working on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 6, 2024
This is a thriller set in darkest Africa. Not the darkness of the continent but the darkness of those who wield power in the most violent and corrupt manner. It is a beautiful land rich in minerals that have always excited the greed in individuals, huge organisations and nations intent on mining that wealth, usually with total disregard for the people trying to eke a living above the riches.
Military intervention by foreign governments who choose sides with whoever is in power at any particular time or who might offer the best rewards, has been the curse of the continent for hundreds of years and this book illustrates this in stark detail.
Sergeant Alex Dalloway, has already suffered the violence and devastation caused by this greed for power and money several years before. Because of his current financial situation following his discharge from the army, he decides to return to Africa despite his doubts about the purpose and actions required. His life is about to change dramatically and bring him full circle as he embarks on the hazardous mission.
The characters are vividly drawn and distasteful as some of them are they leap from the page and imprint themselves on your mind. It is not difficult to imagine the horror of man’s inhumanity to man especially when it is directed at fellow countrymen in the name of manic despotism.
I have read some amazing books about Africa and its history but this particular book shares a brutal reality which can be difficult to read at times. The author has certainly captured the dreadful consequences of enabling psychologically deranged people access to power by foreign interested parties.
There is however other characters whose bravery and commitment to the end of this reign of terror despite the cost to themselves and those close to them which lifts the narrative in this action packed thriller. For those who enjoy a rollercoaster, fast paced read, this fits the bill.
I will certainly read other books by this author
Military intervention by foreign governments who choose sides with whoever is in power at any particular time or who might offer the best rewards, has been the curse of the continent for hundreds of years and this book illustrates this in stark detail.
Sergeant Alex Dalloway, has already suffered the violence and devastation caused by this greed for power and money several years before. Because of his current financial situation following his discharge from the army, he decides to return to Africa despite his doubts about the purpose and actions required. His life is about to change dramatically and bring him full circle as he embarks on the hazardous mission.
The characters are vividly drawn and distasteful as some of them are they leap from the page and imprint themselves on your mind. It is not difficult to imagine the horror of man’s inhumanity to man especially when it is directed at fellow countrymen in the name of manic despotism.
I have read some amazing books about Africa and its history but this particular book shares a brutal reality which can be difficult to read at times. The author has certainly captured the dreadful consequences of enabling psychologically deranged people access to power by foreign interested parties.
There is however other characters whose bravery and commitment to the end of this reign of terror despite the cost to themselves and those close to them which lifts the narrative in this action packed thriller. For those who enjoy a rollercoaster, fast paced read, this fits the bill.
I will certainly read other books by this author
August 3, 2018
Sgt. Alex Dalloway had spent considerable time fighting in African conflicts when he and two of his men were captured and tortured by a madman, “Body Chop” Walker. Dalloway was recurred by a mystery woman, but not before succumbing to torture in a futile effort to save his men from an agonizing death. The encounter with Walker left Dalloway deeply scarred and fate would once again throw them together in a dance with destiny.
Red Ground is a grim and unapologetic reminder of the senseless and brutal conflicts tearing Africa apart over politics and often driven by commercial interests backed by the governments of major nations. It is a frightening look into the power of money and madness.
A brutal story, Red Ground is not for every reader. The characters seem realistic, believable and act in a manner one might expect from people cast into the same real life roles. Readers may wonder, however, if anyone could be quite as crazy and brutal as Walker…until they review the facts of history of the region and understand that such brutality is not merely the purview of fiction.
Red Ground is stirring read for readers of action adventure, military adventures, historical fiction and anyone else with a love of action books and a strong stomach.
On the whole, despite a few proofreading errors that are not overly distracting, Red Ground is a fine story easily worth 5-Stars.
Red Ground is a grim and unapologetic reminder of the senseless and brutal conflicts tearing Africa apart over politics and often driven by commercial interests backed by the governments of major nations. It is a frightening look into the power of money and madness.
A brutal story, Red Ground is not for every reader. The characters seem realistic, believable and act in a manner one might expect from people cast into the same real life roles. Readers may wonder, however, if anyone could be quite as crazy and brutal as Walker…until they review the facts of history of the region and understand that such brutality is not merely the purview of fiction.
Red Ground is stirring read for readers of action adventure, military adventures, historical fiction and anyone else with a love of action books and a strong stomach.
On the whole, despite a few proofreading errors that are not overly distracting, Red Ground is a fine story easily worth 5-Stars.
January 31, 2018
MY REVIEW: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Uncompromisingly brutal and utterly riveting.
This is the first book by author Ken Fry that I have read.
It won’t be the last.
Make no mistake, this work is uncompromisingly brutal, because it needs to be. The devastating pages of the dark history of Sierra Leone don’t allow for compromise.
The characterizations are brilliant and shattering, this author has a deep empathy and an understanding of the dark motives that drive the most inhuman of our species.
This is not pristine matter prettied up for mass consumption, these people are at times horrendously real, and horrifically brutal. Author Fry explores the deepest of emotions and he does it in a way that will alternatively shatter you, and have you moved to tears with its poignancy.
This book is a journey into the darkest of man’s motives and is unforgiving in its depiction of greed, the lust for power, and the driving thirst for vengeance.
It is bloody and brutal and brilliant. Take the journey. You won’t forget it anytime soon.
I’m off to grab another of Ken Fry’s works.
This is the first book by author Ken Fry that I have read.
It won’t be the last.
Make no mistake, this work is uncompromisingly brutal, because it needs to be. The devastating pages of the dark history of Sierra Leone don’t allow for compromise.
The characterizations are brilliant and shattering, this author has a deep empathy and an understanding of the dark motives that drive the most inhuman of our species.
This is not pristine matter prettied up for mass consumption, these people are at times horrendously real, and horrifically brutal. Author Fry explores the deepest of emotions and he does it in a way that will alternatively shatter you, and have you moved to tears with its poignancy.
This book is a journey into the darkest of man’s motives and is unforgiving in its depiction of greed, the lust for power, and the driving thirst for vengeance.
It is bloody and brutal and brilliant. Take the journey. You won’t forget it anytime soon.
I’m off to grab another of Ken Fry’s works.
September 16, 2017
A harrowing read; a definite eye-opener. This isn’t the first Ken Fry book I’ve read, but it has been the most difficult, although not due to the author’s writing, rather the subject matter. So much death and deception, and yet also with threads of hope and goodness. A must read, in my opinion.
March 24, 2017
Africa gets into my blood. Western and developed Asian countries have all used, and in many ways abused, what exists in Africa... although they also contributed a lot of good in fighting disease, poverty and instituting education.
I remember being struck heavily by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness set in the then Belgian Congo. Corruption was the name of the game.
And this happens all over Africa. Countries like Sierra Leone and Angola, rich in minerals like copper, gold and diamonds, became targets of savvy, Western geological outfits and rogue African states. Often forming hidden alliances to extract the maximum possible wealth from the ground, for the lowest possible cost.
That lowest possible cost was human life.
Sierra Leone was a prime example. The RUF, whilst proclaiming an agenda of equality, was a ruthless power and wealth hungry monster. They killed and horrendously mutilated any who opposed them and also rendered the same to any inhabitant: man, woman or child in any village or town. Children were forced to perform parricide and sexual violations... if they wished to remain alive.
International outrage remained what it was, outrage. Not much else.
The real changes came from undercover specialised soldiery, government supported and mercenary or semi-mercenary forces. Seeing amputee sports and football teams came as quite a shock. Many of them just kids. All victims of the RUF.
It’s a story a few writers have told. I’ve added my own words to it, albeit in a totally fictitious way.
The proclamation of the State of Salonga is a work of pure invention, but given what was going on, and looking back on Emperor Bokassa of Central Africa, it’s not far from what could have happened. The use of fiction dramatizes the reality and I have done so to highlight the horror and absurdity of the situation. Like Rwanda, little was done to save lives.
The story of Africa must be told, repeatedly, for us to remember and honour the suffering of its people... and perhaps, one day, humanity will learn from it, and their lives and deaths would not have been in vain.
I remember being struck heavily by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness set in the then Belgian Congo. Corruption was the name of the game.
And this happens all over Africa. Countries like Sierra Leone and Angola, rich in minerals like copper, gold and diamonds, became targets of savvy, Western geological outfits and rogue African states. Often forming hidden alliances to extract the maximum possible wealth from the ground, for the lowest possible cost.
That lowest possible cost was human life.
Sierra Leone was a prime example. The RUF, whilst proclaiming an agenda of equality, was a ruthless power and wealth hungry monster. They killed and horrendously mutilated any who opposed them and also rendered the same to any inhabitant: man, woman or child in any village or town. Children were forced to perform parricide and sexual violations... if they wished to remain alive.
International outrage remained what it was, outrage. Not much else.
The real changes came from undercover specialised soldiery, government supported and mercenary or semi-mercenary forces. Seeing amputee sports and football teams came as quite a shock. Many of them just kids. All victims of the RUF.
It’s a story a few writers have told. I’ve added my own words to it, albeit in a totally fictitious way.
The proclamation of the State of Salonga is a work of pure invention, but given what was going on, and looking back on Emperor Bokassa of Central Africa, it’s not far from what could have happened. The use of fiction dramatizes the reality and I have done so to highlight the horror and absurdity of the situation. Like Rwanda, little was done to save lives.
The story of Africa must be told, repeatedly, for us to remember and honour the suffering of its people... and perhaps, one day, humanity will learn from it, and their lives and deaths would not have been in vain.
July 25, 2017
After reading, Is that You, Jim?, the first book I read by Ken Fry, which I thoroughly enjoyed, Red Ground is a far departure from that short story. Like Is That you, Jim, Red Ground is a magnificently written, and sometimes gory depiction of the civil war in Sierra Leone, and the complete ignorance of the U.K. to turn the other cheek in the name of mining for “Blood” diamonds.
The brutality of the RUF’s leader, General Walker, otherwise known as “Body Chop” is not for the faint of heart. There is one part where mercenaries come across a scene that is vial and goes to show the heartless manner that Walker will go. Fry gets you in the heads of the characters and you truly feel what each one is going through. I found Walker to be the most fascinating due to his brutal manner, and his teachings to his son, Lamin, on how to handle disobedience.
This is one of the best crafted, and well written books I’ve read. The story will grip your heart, test your nerves and send you on a rollercoaster ride that you’ll never forget. Red Ground is an amazing book and one that I highly recommend picking up.
The brutality of the RUF’s leader, General Walker, otherwise known as “Body Chop” is not for the faint of heart. There is one part where mercenaries come across a scene that is vial and goes to show the heartless manner that Walker will go. Fry gets you in the heads of the characters and you truly feel what each one is going through. I found Walker to be the most fascinating due to his brutal manner, and his teachings to his son, Lamin, on how to handle disobedience.
This is one of the best crafted, and well written books I’ve read. The story will grip your heart, test your nerves and send you on a rollercoaster ride that you’ll never forget. Red Ground is an amazing book and one that I highly recommend picking up.
July 12, 2017
From the first chapter, the violent and bloody Sierra Leone conflict portrayed in “Red Ground” is so well defined that I felt as if I, too, had become part of it. I winced, I closed my eyes--but I couldn’t get it out of my head. Mr. Fry’s ability to draw me in so quickly was impressive, and then he proceeded to keep me there by developing the characters, both good and bad, digging deeper with every chapter as he continued to show various sides of the struggle within the inner thoughts and feelings of those involved. I especially liked the character, Lamin, a child soldier, and son of the ruthless Icechi “Body Chop” Walker. Lamin’s sweetness and lost innocence lend even more humanity to this multi-dimensional story. Although “Red Ground” contains many violent scenes, I do not think they are overdone; rather, they add realism to the story. I highly recommend “Red Ground” to anyone seeking an action-packed thriller.
May 20, 2018
Bloody, brutal, heartbreaking, and hopeful all at once. This is how I'd describe Red Ground. Based on the Sierra Leone rebellions, it is part fiction, part true --- and sometimes the truth is far worse than anything we can imagine. But even as Ken Fry relates the atrocities committed in graphic detail, he also shares with us the inspiring side of humanity. That even in the most hopeless situations, there are people who strive to be good. And the ending.... this author knows how to end a story, leaving a reader wistful but satisfied. Highly recommended, but not for readers who don't want to be told about the ugly side of life.
March 25, 2017
Africa is a colourful, diverse and fascinating continent. As such, it makes a fascinating setting for a novel, my favourite being HEART OF DARKNESS - the inspiration for APOCALYPSE NOW. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay author Ken Fry is that RED GROUND reminded me of Conrad's masterpiece. It portrays the dark, ugly side of Africa, but also the dark, ugly side of humanity, and it does so in fine style.
Alex Dalloway, a former soldier discharged for supposedly failing his duty, returns to West Africa with his eyes on the prize. Diamonds are on offer, and his money woes supersede his reluctance to wade into the blood and gore of war-torn Sierra Leone. As a mercenary, he must forget his grudge and overcome his principles, but the paymaster awaiting is a monster who's left indelible scars on Alex in the past. Will he survive his ill-advised venture, or will the vultures soon be picking at his dismembered corpse? Shadowy governmental forces are at play, too, and it seems the mission is bound to end in disaster.
The characterisation in RED GROUND is superb. As well as former sergeant Dalloway, Mr Fry tells the tale of "Bodychop" Walker, the psychopathic warlord intent on establishing his own kingdom; Zaria, a dynamic female fighter sworn to destroy Bodychop, and Lamin, Bodychop's understandably rebellious son. The villain of the piece is wickedly evil, whilst his enemy and his son are more sympathetically depicted. Fry excels at character studies, switching regularly between the main players yet exploring their motivations in depth. Lesser figures, like the duplicitous Colonel Grigson, and the despicable Prime Minister Starkey, add to the suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed RED GROUND. One minute, it is full of action, and you can practically feel the bullets whizzing past your ears. And then the mood becomes poignant, as you watch the traumatised boy, Lamin, care for his pet owl. I look forward to reading more of Ken's many thrillers, and I recommend you join me.
Alex Dalloway, a former soldier discharged for supposedly failing his duty, returns to West Africa with his eyes on the prize. Diamonds are on offer, and his money woes supersede his reluctance to wade into the blood and gore of war-torn Sierra Leone. As a mercenary, he must forget his grudge and overcome his principles, but the paymaster awaiting is a monster who's left indelible scars on Alex in the past. Will he survive his ill-advised venture, or will the vultures soon be picking at his dismembered corpse? Shadowy governmental forces are at play, too, and it seems the mission is bound to end in disaster.
The characterisation in RED GROUND is superb. As well as former sergeant Dalloway, Mr Fry tells the tale of "Bodychop" Walker, the psychopathic warlord intent on establishing his own kingdom; Zaria, a dynamic female fighter sworn to destroy Bodychop, and Lamin, Bodychop's understandably rebellious son. The villain of the piece is wickedly evil, whilst his enemy and his son are more sympathetically depicted. Fry excels at character studies, switching regularly between the main players yet exploring their motivations in depth. Lesser figures, like the duplicitous Colonel Grigson, and the despicable Prime Minister Starkey, add to the suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed RED GROUND. One minute, it is full of action, and you can practically feel the bullets whizzing past your ears. And then the mood becomes poignant, as you watch the traumatised boy, Lamin, care for his pet owl. I look forward to reading more of Ken's many thrillers, and I recommend you join me.
April 1, 2017
Regular readers of my reviews will already know what an enormous fan I am, of Ken Fry. When I hear there's a new Fry thriller coming off the presses, I am the first in line to grab a copy. When Red Ground came out, a week or so ago, I thrilled to be able to read it.
Red Ground is a little bit of a departure for Fry, in that it is a military-based, suspense thrller as opposed to the spy-types in some of his other work. Reading Red Ground, I couldn't help but wonder if it had some personal basis for Fry. Either that or his research is meticulous and accurate. I shouldn't be surprised, though, it always is.
Red Ground is set in the vicious, killing fields that were and are the West African civil wars. Set on the border of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the book chronicles the attempt of an insane General, Icechi (Body Chop) Walker to seize a part of Southern Sierra Leone, rich in oil and diamonds, and declare a new state (Salonga), of which he will, of course, be potentate and King.
The story is told from both the first person perspective of a British mercenary recruited to guard the new King and the third person perspective. I found the alternating use of perspectives to be an interesting way of relating the tale. It allowed us to get very up close and personal with the British squaddie, Alex Dalloway and also take in the other characters actions and perspectives. An ingenious use of perspective, in my opinion. A good job Fry.
Red Ground was simply superb and everything I've come to expect from this immensely talented author. Absolutely worth every one of the five-stars and more, that I've awarded it. A fantastic read.
If I was to take one thing away from this horrific tale of genocide and mutilation it would be that famous quote from Edmund Burke; "All that is required, for evil to prevail, is for good men to do nothing." Sadly, all around the world, but especially in West Africa, that is far too often the case.
What a triumph Mr Fry!
Red Ground is a little bit of a departure for Fry, in that it is a military-based, suspense thrller as opposed to the spy-types in some of his other work. Reading Red Ground, I couldn't help but wonder if it had some personal basis for Fry. Either that or his research is meticulous and accurate. I shouldn't be surprised, though, it always is.
Red Ground is set in the vicious, killing fields that were and are the West African civil wars. Set on the border of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the book chronicles the attempt of an insane General, Icechi (Body Chop) Walker to seize a part of Southern Sierra Leone, rich in oil and diamonds, and declare a new state (Salonga), of which he will, of course, be potentate and King.
The story is told from both the first person perspective of a British mercenary recruited to guard the new King and the third person perspective. I found the alternating use of perspectives to be an interesting way of relating the tale. It allowed us to get very up close and personal with the British squaddie, Alex Dalloway and also take in the other characters actions and perspectives. An ingenious use of perspective, in my opinion. A good job Fry.
Red Ground was simply superb and everything I've come to expect from this immensely talented author. Absolutely worth every one of the five-stars and more, that I've awarded it. A fantastic read.
If I was to take one thing away from this horrific tale of genocide and mutilation it would be that famous quote from Edmund Burke; "All that is required, for evil to prevail, is for good men to do nothing." Sadly, all around the world, but especially in West Africa, that is far too often the case.
What a triumph Mr Fry!
October 1, 2018
A truly suspenseful story! In the war torn world of Central Africa, a ruthless brutal general is determined to dominate the land any way possible. Fry brings to life a dark, seemingly realistic story through strongly developed characters and graphic descriptions. Frankly, while this is a fictional piece, it could be pulled from current headlines. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put Fry’s grisly, fast paced thriller down. Brilliant work!
March 24, 2017
In prolific author Ken Fry’s work, bad decisions seem always to come down to greed, and Red Ground is no exception. Fry excels in having his primary characters put themselves into morally compromising situations that they somehow have to maneuver their ways out of. In this case, a mercenary goes looking for financial security on a mission to Africa and instead finds mortal danger and a dangerously unhinged villain from his highly traumatic past. This book particularly focuses on the damage that violence does to the one who perpetrates it as well as to those who are victimized. The situations are genuinely frightening and the images vivid (sometimes a little too vivid for those of us who shy away from detailed portrayals of violence).
This work might have benefited from a little more polishing. There were a few issues with word choice as well as the occasional error slipping between different types of point of view. Fans of the genre and of Fry will find this book entertaining nonetheless.
This work might have benefited from a little more polishing. There were a few issues with word choice as well as the occasional error slipping between different types of point of view. Fans of the genre and of Fry will find this book entertaining nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews