Dust and Steel
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Product Description
Review
Praise for To Do and Die:
'A finely-drawn depiction of battle and the camaraderie of war' Daily Mail
‘A tremendous achievement by a storyteller who knows the humour, the fear and the frenzy of men in battle.’ Bernard Cornwell
‘Mercer's prose is muscular yet silky smooth . His depiction of the experience of battle is unsurpassed’
Saul David, author of Zulu Dawn
‘An excellent fiction debut. Any more please?’
Military Illustrated
‘Mercer creates colourful, believable characters that stay true to the dialect of the time, but remain recognisable to any modern soldier. Fans of Sharpe, Flashman or Matthew Hervey should enjoy this novel’
Soldier magazine
Product Description
Thrilling military history from the author of To Do and Die.
As the ship docked in Bombay, the shocking news of the rising by the Indian mutineers and their massacre of women, children and civilians reached Anthony Morgan and his company. Even so, they were hardly prepared for what they now faced in this country, so unknown to them, where they found it hard to understand who was friend or foe among the native troops.
Morgan himself has another quest. On discovering that the son he had fathered, his child's mother and her husband, Morgan's old sergeant, are captives up in the hills where the enterprising Rhani of Jansi is building up her force against old comers, he is determined to find a way to rescue them and lead them to safety.
A gripping tale of one of the great challenges to the Victorian Empire, and the difficult dilemmas of a soldier torn between orders and honor.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is the second instalment of a series about the career of Anthony Morgan, a gentleman from Co. Cork who has bought a commission in the British Army's 95th Regiment of Foot. The first instalment concerened the Crimean War and this one follows Morgan through the Indian Mutiny (First War of Independence). It starts with the 95th's arrival in Bombay and the trial and gory execution of some treasonous sepoys and then the army moves north towards the final battle with the forces led by Lakshmi Bai, the Rhani of Jhansi. The Rhani is holding Morgan's erstwhile lover, Mary Keenan, and his illegitimate son by her as hostages.
For readers of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books this book will not be too foreign, there's a loyal Scottish sergeatnt and a dastardly and cowardly snobbish upper class English captain and there's a quest to save a lover. The battle scenes are good and the character of Morgan seems realistic, he's not a hero and feels real fear everytime he goes into battle. The historical background is well researched and although many of the characters are fictional the Rhani of Jhansi did exist and the major battles described did take place.
So if you enjoy novels about Military history here's the late 19th century replacement for Cornwell's Sharpe. The next book in the series takes Morgan into Afghanistan, along the Helmand River, so that should be interesting in a number of ways.
For readers of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books this book will not be too foreign, there's a loyal Scottish sergeatnt and a dastardly and cowardly snobbish upper class English captain and there's a quest to save a lover. The battle scenes are good and the character of Morgan seems realistic, he's not a hero and feels real fear everytime he goes into battle. The historical background is well researched and although many of the characters are fictional the Rhani of Jhansi did exist and the major battles described did take place.
So if you enjoy novels about Military history here's the late 19th century replacement for Cornwell's Sharpe. The next book in the series takes Morgan into Afghanistan, along the Helmand River, so that should be interesting in a number of ways.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This the second novel from Patrick Mercer also to feature Tony Morgan, hero of a previous campaign and embarking on another in this book. I have not read 'To Do and Die' but I know it covers the campaign referred to many times in this book, Sebastapol in the Crimea; similarly, several characters reappear to help or hinder the exploits of Morgan.
It is easy to see that the author knows his background and, indeed, his military career has given him a understanding of how the military reacts in time of conflict. In this story that conflict is the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1859 and the quest of the British (or English) Army to quell the mutineers, in particulat the Rhani of Jhansi and her fanatical followers.
Mercer writes well. His descriptions of battle allow the reader to believe he's watching the battles take place as though it were a film with a great number of special effects. Such was the brutality on both sides at that time, those 'special effects' were reality for some. His understanding of the realtionship between men and officers is excellent and I can only imagine that his own career has enabled him to write, too, with such believability.
Where, for me, the book lacks depth is in the main thrust of the story. For much of the book, as Morgan and the 95th move north, he survives near misses, those near to him who are wounded seem to recuperate very quickly and several characters seem to have nine lives whereas most of the enemy is dispatched with brutality and much descriptive gore. This is fine in terms of an action-packed storyline but one feels somewhat let down when the Rhani is finally cornered and when one of her aides is caught and, relatively speaking, made to pay dearly for his previous acts of barbarism against the English civilians.
I was also somewhat put off by the convenient dispatch of people who were likely to cause Morgan problems with his own life. His wife and the husband of his lover, for example and this is not a spoiler, as the reader will discover. Nonetheless, I was happy to read the book. It makes a welcome change from crime thrillers and I will look out for book three in the series in due course. Meanwhile, I need to clean off the campaign dust, recover from the very explicit action scenes and hope that my own friends are as robust as Morgan's. 'Dust and Steel' is a rollicking good read, especially if you go along just for the ride.
It is easy to see that the author knows his background and, indeed, his military career has given him a understanding of how the military reacts in time of conflict. In this story that conflict is the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1859 and the quest of the British (or English) Army to quell the mutineers, in particulat the Rhani of Jhansi and her fanatical followers.
Mercer writes well. His descriptions of battle allow the reader to believe he's watching the battles take place as though it were a film with a great number of special effects. Such was the brutality on both sides at that time, those 'special effects' were reality for some. His understanding of the realtionship between men and officers is excellent and I can only imagine that his own career has enabled him to write, too, with such believability.
Where, for me, the book lacks depth is in the main thrust of the story. For much of the book, as Morgan and the 95th move north, he survives near misses, those near to him who are wounded seem to recuperate very quickly and several characters seem to have nine lives whereas most of the enemy is dispatched with brutality and much descriptive gore. This is fine in terms of an action-packed storyline but one feels somewhat let down when the Rhani is finally cornered and when one of her aides is caught and, relatively speaking, made to pay dearly for his previous acts of barbarism against the English civilians.
I was also somewhat put off by the convenient dispatch of people who were likely to cause Morgan problems with his own life. His wife and the husband of his lover, for example and this is not a spoiler, as the reader will discover. Nonetheless, I was happy to read the book. It makes a welcome change from crime thrillers and I will look out for book three in the series in due course. Meanwhile, I need to clean off the campaign dust, recover from the very explicit action scenes and hope that my own friends are as robust as Morgan's. 'Dust and Steel' is a rollicking good read, especially if you go along just for the ride.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a tale set within the mutiny against the British occupation of India during the mid 1800s. The author states that all of the battles depicted within are based on real ones, and even some of the characters are based on real people. Although the dialogue has been updated to a more modern style to make it easier to identify with the characters.
It is a fascinating and often repellent read, as the author goes in to quite extremely graphic detail about the battles and how people were treated by both sides involved in the conflict. I was at times amazed, horrified and ashamed to be British as I turned the pages. Definitely not one for youngsters or those of a weaker disposition.
The characters are quite likeable if a bit stereotyped, and the story fits reasonably well within the historical scenario if a little far fetched in places.
The only real problem I had, and the reason it has lost a star, is that the ending seems to be very abrupt. I will obviously not spoil it, but it left me wondering if I had lost a few pages from my copy!
A gripping tale from times gone by that will awaken the kid in most of us, but is certainly not for kids.
It is a fascinating and often repellent read, as the author goes in to quite extremely graphic detail about the battles and how people were treated by both sides involved in the conflict. I was at times amazed, horrified and ashamed to be British as I turned the pages. Definitely not one for youngsters or those of a weaker disposition.
The characters are quite likeable if a bit stereotyped, and the story fits reasonably well within the historical scenario if a little far fetched in places.
The only real problem I had, and the reason it has lost a star, is that the ending seems to be very abrupt. I will obviously not spoil it, but it left me wondering if I had lost a few pages from my copy!
A gripping tale from times gone by that will awaken the kid in most of us, but is certainly not for kids.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Polished Historical Story
I have a weakness for historical military fiction, and after hearing this writer on the radio quite often decided he must know his stuff. And indeed he does. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Martin Samuels
Fast-Moving once it gets started.
This novel, written by a former soldier, tries to capture the atmosphere of India at the time of the Mutiny of 1857-9. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. Gtj Charmley
dust &steel.
Patrick Mercer has done it again,brilliant book,even better than his first one,To Do and Die,Any book that is recomended by Saul David,has got to be good,lets have more please.
Published 15 months ago by C. J. Holmes
Gad! The heat.
Patrick Mercer gives us a taste of good old fashioned soldiering: sand, flies, sweat, terror, and boredom, not to mention intolerable food. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Captain Chaos (Semper Vigilans)
Rusty and Dusty
Although I love the Andy McNab books and his particular style of writing, as well as enjoying the Sharpe series on TV, this book wasn't, as suggested on the preview, anything like... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mrs. T. Mannell
Dust and Steel
Dust and Steel is the second book in what we are told will be a trilogy. It follows Anthony Morgan and the 95th Regiment from the 1st Volume set in the Crimea to the Indian... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Liza T
A thoroughly enjoyable, if somewhat cliched, romp
Now, first things first, I have to state that I have very little knowledge of the period of history covered by this book and have never read anything similar to this title (not... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Neil Goodacre
Good but could have been better
Enjoyed this book when I got into it, was somewhat unsure about it at first, but it got better as the story progressed. Read more
Published 21 months ago by John Richard
A worthy follow-up novel
I chose this for my teenage son who is a Patrick Mercer fan. My son said this book was just as good as 'To Do and Die' although the situation is quite different - the setting this... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Tealady2000
Dusty
Patrick Mercer has tried to create a hero in the mold of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe. Yet never quite manages it. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Donald Thompson
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