Sabre's Edge

Hailed as "the heir to Patrick O'Brian" (The Observer), Allan Mallinson has thrilled readers with his enthusiastically acclaimed, exotic, and compelling adventures through history's most pivotal moments. Anthony Beevor, acclaimed author of Stalingrad, praised Mallinson's A Close Run Thing as "convincingly drawn, perfectly paced, and expertly written... a joy to read." In The Sabre's Edge, his most riveting novel yet, Mallinson takes his readers on an exhilarating journey with the British Redcoats through the breathtaking and ferociously hostile landscapes of Rangoon, Bhurtpore, and Calcutta. The year is 1824; the Sixth Light Dragoons are stationed in India, and the talk in the officers' mess is of war. The Burmese are increasingly encroaching on land controlled by the British East India Company, and skirmishes are becoming common on India's borders. Meanwhile, across the country, the succession to the Raj of Bhurtpore has been usurped by the warmonger Durjan Sal. A conflagration is set to flare, and with the threat of war on two fronts, British troops must intercede. The battle ahead will test cavalry officer Matthew Hervey to his limits, as Durjan Sal has taken refuge in an infamous fortress, five miles in perimeter and surrounded by a deep ditch that can be flooded at a moment's notice. As the Tower of Victory-erected inside it and built with the skulls of dead British soldiers-bears witness, the fortress has withstood all attacks made on it. Once again, the fortunes of Matthew Hervey and his courageous troop will be decided by the sabre's edge.Mallinson, Allan is the author of 'Sabre's Edge', published 2004 under ISBN 9781585675333 and ISBN 1585675334.