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Death or Glory #5
The Colour of Fire
‘Really extraordinary. It grabs you from the first page.’ – Edward Klekowski Captain Tom Caine knows he should be out with the throngs of revellers celebrating Victory in Europe but, instead of elation, he only feels anger. How can he celebrate when he is haunted by the horrors of the war and the friends he was unable to save? When Caine takes a post in the war crimes investigation team, it’s not long before he makes an unforgivable discovery; allied forces and military police, the very people who should be supporting their mission, have been intentionally obstructing their progress. But what are they trying to hide? And what about Celia Blaney, field security officer and the object of his affections, reported MIA? Could the two be linked? This action-packed thriller offers insight into the chaotic state of post-war Europe, depicting the harrowing aftermath of the atrocities wreaked by Nazi occupation. ‘It’s everything you’d well plotted, taut, with fast flowing action, a believable and intriguing plot and very credible characters.’ – John Sadler, author of Blitzing Rommel Michael Asher has served in the Parachute Regiment and the SAS. A fluent Arabic speaker, he lived for several years with desert nomads, and later made the first recorded crossing of the Sahara from west to east by camel and on foot. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has won a number of awards for exploration, including the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. Among his previous books are the bestselling The Real Bravo Two Zero and the autobiographical Shoot to From 2 Para to the SAS.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2018
20 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Michael Asher
56 books63 followersMichael Asher is an author, historian, deep ecologist, and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in Sudan.
Michael Asher was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1953, and attended Stamford School. At 18 he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, and saw active service in Northern Ireland during The Troubles there in the 1970s.
He studied English Language & Linguistics at the University of Leeds. at the same time serving in B Squadron, 23rd SAS Regiment. He also studied at Carnegie College, Leeds, where he qualified as a teacher of physical education and English.
In 1978-9, he worked for the RUC Special Patrol Group anti-terrorist patrols, but left after less than a year. He took a job as a volunteer English teacher in the Sudan in 1979.
The author of twenty-one published books, and presenter/director of six TV documentaries, Asher has lived in Africa for much of his life, and speaks Arabic and Swahili. He is married to Arabist and photographer Mariantonietta Peru, with whom he has a son and a daughter, Burton and Jade. He currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
Michael Asher was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1953, and attended Stamford School. At 18 he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, and saw active service in Northern Ireland during The Troubles there in the 1970s.
He studied English Language & Linguistics at the University of Leeds. at the same time serving in B Squadron, 23rd SAS Regiment. He also studied at Carnegie College, Leeds, where he qualified as a teacher of physical education and English.
In 1978-9, he worked for the RUC Special Patrol Group anti-terrorist patrols, but left after less than a year. He took a job as a volunteer English teacher in the Sudan in 1979.
The author of twenty-one published books, and presenter/director of six TV documentaries, Asher has lived in Africa for much of his life, and speaks Arabic and Swahili. He is married to Arabist and photographer Mariantonietta Peru, with whom he has a son and a daughter, Burton and Jade. He currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2019
The cover of this book is a little surprising, having a look of a romance novel about it, but inside the pages contain a solid wartime tale.
The book is the fifth in the Death or Glory series but stands alone as a self contained within it's own right.
I have read none of it's predecessors but found it fast paced from the start with all the characters easy to engage with.
It's not a standard war tale - more a case of what happens in the immediate aftermath of a ceasefire. The Brits are looking for answers in regard to 22 missing personnel (including one woman, Blaney, which gives us the romantic slant). The story veers between the current day search and the previous events, which lead to their disappearance.
Highly trained Allieds have been captured by the Germans and put to work in a secretive factory. What exactly were they constructing and why did the Americans raid the factory shortly before the Brits showed an interest? There are a host of secrets to uncover before the truth is revealed and the cat and mouse chase involved makes this an absorbing read.
I wouldn't class myself as a "fan" of war based fiction but this smacks sufficiently of being factually plausible whilst being an engaging read and a real page turner.
If you're a fan of war based fiction don't let the cover dissuade you - this is a worthy read.
The book is the fifth in the Death or Glory series but stands alone as a self contained within it's own right.
I have read none of it's predecessors but found it fast paced from the start with all the characters easy to engage with.
It's not a standard war tale - more a case of what happens in the immediate aftermath of a ceasefire. The Brits are looking for answers in regard to 22 missing personnel (including one woman, Blaney, which gives us the romantic slant). The story veers between the current day search and the previous events, which lead to their disappearance.
Highly trained Allieds have been captured by the Germans and put to work in a secretive factory. What exactly were they constructing and why did the Americans raid the factory shortly before the Brits showed an interest? There are a host of secrets to uncover before the truth is revealed and the cat and mouse chase involved makes this an absorbing read.
I wouldn't class myself as a "fan" of war based fiction but this smacks sufficiently of being factually plausible whilst being an engaging read and a real page turner.
If you're a fan of war based fiction don't let the cover dissuade you - this is a worthy read.
January 2, 2019
The Colour of Fire.... no spoilers
What a terrific story.
My favourite authors' stories have action set-pieces and technology based on real life, and The Colour Of Fire didn't disappoint. Leading characters are not super-human but are extremely skilled and professional.
I felt this story was something a little different from the usual wartime yarn. Written from two perspectives a few months apart there was a real sense of the world being on the edge of a new and uncertain future, with global politics and old allegiances changing fast; one conflict ending and another developing.
The Colour of Fire is part of a series but the story, with its well thought-out battles and tactics that dripped realism, can be read alone.
Characters were very well described, and there was plenty of story development that went from a straightforward premise into a glimpse of a very different world to come.
Michael Asher has served in the Parachute Regiment and SAS and written many well-received books on, or about, the military. That shines through in his books; a real sense of been there, done that, with realistic characters, their experiences, weapons and values.
If you like realistic wartime stories you could read this with confidence.
What a terrific story.
My favourite authors' stories have action set-pieces and technology based on real life, and The Colour Of Fire didn't disappoint. Leading characters are not super-human but are extremely skilled and professional.
I felt this story was something a little different from the usual wartime yarn. Written from two perspectives a few months apart there was a real sense of the world being on the edge of a new and uncertain future, with global politics and old allegiances changing fast; one conflict ending and another developing.
The Colour of Fire is part of a series but the story, with its well thought-out battles and tactics that dripped realism, can be read alone.
Characters were very well described, and there was plenty of story development that went from a straightforward premise into a glimpse of a very different world to come.
Michael Asher has served in the Parachute Regiment and SAS and written many well-received books on, or about, the military. That shines through in his books; a real sense of been there, done that, with realistic characters, their experiences, weapons and values.
If you like realistic wartime stories you could read this with confidence.
December 16, 2018
Amazing war story!
Wow!!! I've very recently read a number of WWII-based stories, and this is definitely one of the better ones.
This book has loads of action and lots of intrigue related to a British war crimes investigations team, just months after the war, on a mission to find the bodies of their dead comrades. One, in particular, being a young woman who had been on a spy mission into the Alsace Region of France (Germany) near the end of the war. The team consists of crack comandos.
Their investigation turns into much more than even these topnotch heroes could ever have imagined.
Without giving away plot details, I can honestly say this is a book worth reading as the truth is slowly uncovered and their mission is turned over on top of them. This is a good story to ask yourself: What would you give for your country? It is brutal, yet honest, in the uncovering of secrets while bringing realism to the written page.
I'm duly impressed and shaken by what I've read, and I most highly recommend to readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in WWII. An eyeopener!
Wow!!! I've very recently read a number of WWII-based stories, and this is definitely one of the better ones.
This book has loads of action and lots of intrigue related to a British war crimes investigations team, just months after the war, on a mission to find the bodies of their dead comrades. One, in particular, being a young woman who had been on a spy mission into the Alsace Region of France (Germany) near the end of the war. The team consists of crack comandos.
Their investigation turns into much more than even these topnotch heroes could ever have imagined.
Without giving away plot details, I can honestly say this is a book worth reading as the truth is slowly uncovered and their mission is turned over on top of them. This is a good story to ask yourself: What would you give for your country? It is brutal, yet honest, in the uncovering of secrets while bringing realism to the written page.
I'm duly impressed and shaken by what I've read, and I most highly recommend to readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in WWII. An eyeopener!
December 29, 2018
An exquisite military thriller around the end of the second world war. The book is very detailed and gives a very realistic account of the state of affairs during the end of world war 2 and how the allies and the Germans are fighting it out. In between there is also a love affair between two individuals who are in two different camps. A very beautiful rendering of the horrific details of the war and how the protagonist comes up trumps in the end. A good read and it also gives a glimpse of the deep knowledge possessed by the author about the workings of the SAS and you learn a lot of military jargon that used to be bandied during that time.
October 26, 2019
British Commando unit tasked with finding what happened to commandos that were known to have been captured late in WWII. It was suspected that they had bee murdered because of the atrocities by German SS troops that they had witnessed. They were hindered in their search by US Army CIC and military police unites to conceal their efforts in recovering atomic research for the development of weapons that had been accomplished by the Germans using concentration camp prisoners.
It is a good read, fast moving with a satisfying conclusion.
It is a good read, fast moving with a satisfying conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews