Bones Of The River [Paperback]

Edgar Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2008

'Taking the little paper from the pigeon's leg, Hamilton saw it was from Sanders and marked URGENT. Send Bones instantly to Lujamalababa... Arrest and bring to head-quarters the witch doctor.' It is a time when the world's most powerful nations are vying for colonial honour, a time of trading steamers and tribal chiefs. In the mysterious African territories administered by Commissioner Sanders, Bones persistently manages to create his own unique style of innocent and endearing mischief.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born illegitimately in Greenwich, London, in 1875to actors Mary Jane Richards and T. H. Edgar. As an infant he wasadopted by George Freeman, a porter at Billingsgate fish market. Aged eleven, Wallace sold newspapers at Ludgate Circus and upon leaving school took a job with a printer. He later enlisted in the Royal West Kent Regiment, beforetransferring to the Medical Staff Corps, and was sent to South Africa. In 1898 he published a collection of poems called The Mission that Failed, and subsequently left the army to become acorrespondent for Reuters.South African war correspondent for The Daily Mail followed and hisarticles were later published as Unofficial Dispatches. His outspokenness infuriated Lord Kitchener, who removed his credentialsas a war correspondent. He thenedited the Rand Daily Mail, but gambled disastrously on the South African Stock Market. Returning to England, he at first reportedon crimes and hanging trials, before becomingeditor of The Evening News. It was in 1905 that he founded the Tallis Press, publishing Smithy, a collection of soldier stories, and The Four Just Men. The latter waspublished with the ending removed as anadvertising stunt and he offered £500 to readers who could successfully guess the ending. Unfortunately, many did and he was almost bankrupted. At various times Wallacealso worked as a journalist on The Standard, The Star, The Week-End Racing Supplement and The Story Journal. In 1917, he became a Special Constable at Lincoln's Inn and also a special interrogator for the War Office. The Daily Mail sent Wallace to investigate atrocities in the Belgian Congo, a trip that provided material for his Sanders of the River books. In 1923 he became Chairman of the Press Club and in 1931 stood as a Liberal Parliamentary candidatefor Blackpool. mHis first marriage in 1901 to Ivy Caldecott, daughter of a missionary, ended in divorce in 1918 and he later married his much younger secretary, Violet King. Along with countlessarticles, some 23 screenplays and many short stories,Wallacewrote more than 170 books, which have been translated into 28 languages and sales of which have exceeded 50 million copies. Over 160 films have been made from his books - more than any other author. In the 1920's one of Wallace's many publishers claimed that a quarter of all books read in England were written by him. His sales were exceeded only by The Bible. He died in 1932 whilst workingon the screenplay for King Kong,

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: House of Stratus (January 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755114744
• ISBN-13: 978-0755114740
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,509,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but not much else, February 2, 2008

By 

Madan (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bones Of The River (A Sanders of the River Book) (Paperback)

This book isn't for uptight people. It was written at a time when racism and "paternalism" were valid, institutionalized points of view. Africans are portrayed as a mindless, warmongering people who engage in acts of arbitrary violence, and easily exploited by Arabs and Coast Africans. ("When their stomachs are full, thoughts turn to war"). But that having been said, the exchanges between the main characters are quite amusing, and it is a perfect book to spend a lazy afternoon with. In short, highly entertaining, but very much lacking in the intellectual department.