It's July 1879 and Lieutenant Simon Fonthill is preparing to leave South Africa with his servant '352' Jenkins. Disillusioned with the British army after fighting in the Zulu wars, they are both determined to resign their commissions. However, Fonthill's talents as a soldier have not gone unnoticed and Colonel Lamb, in charge of intelligence, persuades him to join his next operation. And so Fonthill finds himself on his way to Afghanistan, where trouble is brewing for the small British force stationed there. Commanded by General Roberts, they are under orders to protect the British mission in the capital, Kabul, and desperately need reliable intelligence of any imminent attack. Thus Fonthill is sent on a difficult and dangerous mission deep into the Afghan mountains to gain information, the threat of capture and torture by the local tribes constantly hanging over him. Will Fonthill survive and break through to warn Roberts of the united force that is set to rise up against him? Or is it his fate to perish in the mountains at the hands of a brutal enemy?
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About the Author
John Wilcox was a journalist for many years before travelling all round the world while working in industry. He is now a full-time writer.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good old-fashioned ripsnorter of a tale.,
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This review is from: The Road to Kandahar (Simon Fonthill Series) (Paperback)
It seems to me that today's historical fiction is geared more to the feminine reader or to those who enjoy reading historical mysteries. I'm not knocking either of those kinds of stories, but I much prefer the kinds of books full of action, with engaging characters who must inevitably struggle as two different cultures collide. It seems more real, more true to what things were like in that time. This book does just that. It has the sights and sounds and sensibilities of England and Afghanistan in the 1880's. It has a sincere hero who actually gets hurt and suffers and still perseveres. It has a terrific sidekick. Their are genunine moments of humor in their banter. And, as I said, it has lots of action - plausible, cinematic action. By plausible I mean our hero, Simon Fonthill and his acquaintances, make mistakes, act irrationally, while at other times they emerge heroic and resourceful. In other words, they are human and not cardboard superheroes.They sound real, too. Wilcox did a good job with his dialogue. Each character has his/her distinct method of phrasing, while the narration, without resorting to Victorian excesses, seems authentic to the time period. Finally, Wilcox raises a number of themes that are really quite modern. Themes on feminism, racism and tolerance, the xenophobia and cruelty within every culture, and, whether intended or not, some interesting parallels between what happened in Afghanistan in 1880 and what is happening there now. All in all, I loved this book. Since it my first by Wilcox, I intend to read the other Simon Fonthill adventures. He's converted me, by Jove.
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