paulgranger Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 I read these books when they were first published in the early '80s, and remember them as good. I long passed the books on to the charity shop, and see them from time to time on the second hand market. I see that the first volume, Now God Be Thanked, was released in a Kindle version just after Christmas, and the second, Heart of War, is to be released at the end of March, both at £3. Hopefully the last of the trilogy will be issued shortly after that. Masters was a soldier with a distinguished career during WW2 in the Far East, so he knew what he was writing about when the bullets starting flying, and the action scenes in the books show this. His characterisations were good as well, and all in all, I think the books are worth a go. His earlier work ' The Ravi Lancers', about an Indian Regiment on the Western Front, is also good. Off topic, he started another trilogy, about WW2, and the central character in the first (and only) volume, Man of War, was clearly destined for great things. Sadly, Masters died before he could finish the trilogy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle George Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 Masters at his best ('Nightrunners of Bengal'; 'Bugles and a Tiger') was a wonderful writer. His dialogue seems a little forced, though. As I remember this trilogy (after many years) some of the characters (Boy, I think, is one) are poorly drawn. But his theme of the end of the old order is very well expressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaforths Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 I agree. Well worth a read. I recall starting to read them in 1984 and struggling a little to get into the first book but I was glad I stuck with it and enjoyed all three books immensely. I believe the last book is 'In the Green of Spring' or something like that. I still have my original copies albeit they are boxed along with a number of other books and in the attic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndavidswarbrick Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 Title of the last of the trilogy: "By the Green of the Spring" I agree with the previous comments - not perfect [what is?] but well worth a read. Dave Swarbrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 I thought that the first two of the WWI trilogy were excellent, but that the third one was too concerned to tie up all the loose ends. Man of War isn't entirely off topic, as the central character was a man from a humble background who was promoted from the ranks in WWI and stayed on as a regular officer. Most of the book is his career between the wars and in the early stages of WWII, but I'm sure that there are some passages, possibly as flashbacks, describing his WWI exploits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 In Man of War (Michael Joseph 1983), the hero, Bill Miller comes from "Pennel Crecy" (perhaps Pewsey), twenty-two miles across the Plain from Salisbury. Having won a wartime commission in the "Queen's Own Wessex Rifles", Miller returns to the regimental depot in Salisbury in June 1919 and decides to make the army his career. A few pages describe peace-time soldiering at the depot. He performs very well in France in 1940 In Masters' novel The Ravi Lancers (Michael Joseph 1972), Major Warren Bateman of the "44th Bengal Lancers" takes an Indian officer home to "Hangerton-cum-Shrewford Pennel" in the Vale of Pewsey during the Great War. They disembark at Woodborough Station. Walks on to Salisbury Plain are described, and there are very brief passing references to the Central Flying Station, Upavon, and recruiting at Devizes, but there is no other mention of military activities in Wiltshire. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petwes Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 Paul Thanks for the heads up. I read these books after taking them out of the local library back in the 80's. Knowing nothing about the war then I remember enjoying them as a good read particularly as i got the impression they were based around Maidstone where I was living then. I have just downloaded Now God be thanked and will see how I get on after thirty years and a bit more knowledge. I remember last year I was looking for copies online to buy as a set without success so when I was on Amazon I clicked the little box asking for them to be put on Kindle. Do you think it was me what done it!!! Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaforths Posted 16 February , 2015 Share Posted 16 February , 2015 Title of the last of the trilogy: "By the Green of the Spring" I agree with the previous comments - not perfect [what is?] but well worth a read. Dave Swarbrick Thanks for the correct title. Paul Thanks for the heads up. I read these books after taking them out of the local library back in the 80's. Knowing nothing about the war then I remember enjoying them as a good read particularly as i got the impression they were based around Maidstone where I was living then. I have just downloaded Now God be thanked and will see how I get on after thirty years and a bit more knowledge. I remember last year I was looking for copies online to buy as a set without success so when I was on Amazon I clicked the little box asking for them to be put on Kindle. Do you think it was me what done it!!! Peter I'm surprised they haven't been reprinted in amongst all the WW1 literature that is being produced/re-produced to coincide with the centenary. If I'd known there might be a demand for them, I might have put them up for sale, still in their DJs and in pristine condition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgranger Posted 16 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2015 There are a few FWW novels of the 70s and early 80s that might bear reprint e.g Elleston Trevor's 'Bury Him Among Kings' and Philip Rock's 'The Passing Bells'. We may see them yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted 17 February , 2015 Share Posted 17 February , 2015 'The Passing Bells' by Philip Rock was reprinted in late 2012. It is also part of a trilogy, but only the first book is set during WWI. It has no connection to the recent TV series of the same name, other than being set in WWI. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Passing-Bells-Novel-Phillip-Rock/dp/0062229311/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424165256&sr=1-1&keywords=philip+rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgranger Posted 17 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2015 Thank you for the pointer, I hadn't spotted the re-issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutrino Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 I've read all of John Masters books which I like. His three autobiographies are epic mostly set in WW2 or his efforts to settle in the US though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose of picardy Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 I had all of these at one time and was semi-excited when I found them. For some reason, I never warmed to them and the characters didn't engage me. OTOH, I did like the Philip Rock books very much especially the first two. The third seemed to run out of steam a bit for me. However, I have heard wonderful things about Masters' autobiographies and some of his earlier books about the Thuggees (spelling?) and the Indian Mutiny. I want to get to those, at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 (edited) I was a fan of Masters, his two volumes of biography are particularly good, but I gave up on the 1st volume of his 1st World War trilogy. I seem to recall there were paedophilic references or similar which I found distasteful. Edited 29 September , 2016 by David Filsell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutrino Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 (edited) 38 minutes ago, David Filsell said: I was a fan of Masters, his two volume of biography are particularly good, but I gave up on the 1st volume of his 1st World War trilogy. I seem to recall there were paedophilic references or similar which I found distasteful. Not sure I recall that but some of his books have some strange sexual references iirc. Not wishing to smear him as anything but hetrosexual. Of course Michael Calvert from the Chindits always protested his innocence with regard to the stuff which occured in Germany, I think. Masters always wondered if he had Anglo Indian blood as had many of the characters he wrote about. Again iirc his biographer John Clay confirmed this. Edited 19 September , 2016 by neutrino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 Have read the trilogy several times over the years, they never fail to entertain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesmessenger Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 The worst books he wrote, without doubt. Charles M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 19 September , 2016 Share Posted 19 September , 2016 There are a number of John Masters books available to read online, including most of his books with an Indian background, see the FIBIS Fibiwiki page John Masters http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/John_Masters However, the only book with a WW1 background is The Ravi Lancers 1972. Internet Archive (Archive.org) Lending Library. An Indian cavalry regiment is sent to the France at the outbreak of the First World War The online books include Master's first volume of autobiography Bugles And A Tiger(1956) Pdf download, Digital Library of India Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 20 September , 2016 Share Posted 20 September , 2016 Maureen, you are mistaken, as well as the Ravi Lancers there are the three volumes of Loss of Eden. See posts above, some like them others don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 20 September , 2016 Share Posted 20 September , 2016 My post 18 was about online books available. I am sorry if it was not clear that I was saying that the Ravi Lancers is the only WW1 book by John Masters which is available online. Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 23 September , 2016 Share Posted 23 September , 2016 I should have read your post more carefully, apologies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 23 September , 2016 Share Posted 23 September , 2016 On 9/19/2016 at 16:52, neutrino said: Of course Michael Calvert from the Chindits always protested his innocence with regard to the stuff which occured in Germany, I think. And rightly so. He has been 'as good as' cleared of any offence. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 23 September , 2016 Share Posted 23 September , 2016 Some interesting stuff on Masters, Calvert, and Mayne here (along with a number of distasteful comments) Click Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scorer Posted 28 September , 2016 Share Posted 28 September , 2016 (edited) On 23/09/2016 at 17:48, Skipman said: Some interesting stuff on Masters, Calvert, and Mayne here (along with a number of distasteful comments) Click Mike I don't get anything when I click on the link .... ? Edited 28 September , 2016 by The Scorer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 28 September , 2016 Share Posted 28 September , 2016 Not sure why that should be, it works for me. A page of ARRSE Try this one Click Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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