A Balkan tale???

A Balkan tale???

  The Field-Marshal’s Memoirs - a novel by John MastersIt is almost 100 years since John Masters (1914 - 1983) was born in Calcutta (Inia)! "is ancestry inclue both #uro$ean an Inian roots% an a recent boo& on the 'nlo-Inians%  The Anglo-Indians: a 500 year history * by Muthiah an Mac+ure con,irms this! Inee% his novel   Bhowani Junction * is base on the lives o, 'nlo-Inians in Inia as the country a$$roache ine$enence!   ',ter a istinuishe military career in the ritish Inian arme ,orces% which inclue active service urin ../% he bean $ublishin novels! I iscovere my tatty $a$erbac& version o,  The Field Marshall’s Memoirs * in the crowe shelves o, lossoms oo& tall in analore (Inia)! I was attracte to it  because the blurb on its cover allue to the story bein relate to a military cam$ain in the al&ans urin ../! 's I am ,ascinate by the al&ans% I $urchase the boo&% an bean reain it!'bout 30 years a,ter the en o, ../% the iel Marshall ecies to write his memoirs o, his activities urin ../% $articularly the cam$ain that he won in 2uoslavia at an unli&ely name $lace calle o55a +ovac6 (there is a $lace in Montenero calle o5a +ovac67 maybe% this is what the author meant)! he iel Marshall ecies that in his memoirs% everythin will be reveale rearless o, how amain it may be to those mentione in them who are still alive! ' news$a$er learns that he is beinnin to write these no-hols-barre memoirs% an o,,ers to serialise them when they are ,inishe! his $a$er $ublishes avance notices about the ,orthcomin $ublication% an this is when troubles bein! he iel Marshall &nows much that miht well harm the re$utations o, $rominent $eo$le both in the : an the '! "e an his ,amily bein receivin threats ,rom all ;uarters incluin the : overnment! <one o, these eter the iel Marshall an those who are hel$in him incluin his ,eisty ranauhter Caroline! 's the iel Marshall researches his memoirs an sur$risin revelations a$$ear at a remar&able rate% the ma,ia an the +onon unerworl become involve! It is im$ossible to &now where the author o, the novel is leain us until the slihtly isa$$ointin last ,ew $aes!his story un,ols at a s$an&in $ace! here is harly a $ae on which some sur$risin twist in the $lot is not introuce! he story-tellin in this boo& is almost as oo as that o, John uchan! I rea most o, the boo& urin short 5ourneys between home an wor&% but woul have $robably race throuh it in a ,ew hours ha I rea it in be! It is un$ut-ownable6!Masters oes not a$$ear to be sym$athetic to most o, his u$$er class6 $rotaonists in this novel% an mae me isli&e them! =ly enouh he i the same ,or the ma5ority o, the 'nlo-Inians% who he $ortraye in   Bhowani Junction *% the only other boo&  by Masters that I have rea! he author escribes much material relate to the military in an easily com$rehensible way! his is no oubt because o, his consierable e>$erience in the army an the  battle,iel!  I $ic&e u$ the   Field Marshall’s Memoirs *% attracte by the $romise o, some al&an content% but was isa$$ointe! It woul seem to me ,rom reain this novel that Masters was not overly ,amiliar with the reion% an his brie, biora$hy on .i&i$eia6 suests that he i not see active service in that $art o, the worl! 'lthouh this saene me a little% it certainly i not etract ,rom a ,ascinatin an e>citin rea!