Review by mcdonaldchola -- Conflict on the Yangtze
-
mcdonaldchola
- Posts: 47
- Joined: 30 Jun 2019, 01:04
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 56
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mcdonaldchola.html
- Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
Review by mcdonaldchola -- Conflict on the Yangtze
[Following is a volunteer review of "Conflict on the Yangtze" by Greg Kater.]
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The book Conflict on the Yangtze is a historical fiction novel written by Greg Kater. This very captivating book is his fourth and follows after the Warramunga trilogy. It is set in post war China, as well as the Philippines and Australia.
The year is 1946 and two M16 operatives, Commander Daniel Stafford and his companion Lee Drake, are in Shanghai, China, to track down a suspected conspiracy smuggling opium out of China into the USA, Australia and the Philippines. While spying on one of the settlements near the Yangtze River, the two are spotted and pursued by the guards. While Drake manages to escape into the woods, Stafford is shot at and it is not known whether he survives or not. After the shooting of Stafford, Colonel John Cook, from M16 in London, is prompted to request the services of Jamie Munro and Jack ‘Jacko’ O’Brien of the CIS, Commonwealth Investigation Services. Johnny wants Jamie and Jacko to get to Shanghai to continue with Stafford’s operation.
Just before the start of the first chapter of the book, it is interesting that Greg has included a map showing the area around the Yangtze River. He has also included another map of the central part of Greater Shanghai and a picture of part of the city showing the way it looked in 1946. Even if I have not visited the city before, I felt as if I was present when Drake was welcoming Jamie and Jacko in Shanghai and pointing out to them some of the surrounding buildings.
The author is clever enough to ensure that he gives the back ground information of each character he introduces. He carefully does this either immediately or at a later stage. Either way, he ensures that the reader is not lost. Particularly, I like the way he has connected Jamie, Jacko and Colonel John Cook. How they have worked together in the past, “involved in eliminating the operations of a number of gangs involved in criminal activities in the aftermath of the war”, leaves the reader to figure out on his own why they are together in China.
I like the set up of the book the most because it shows how very familiar Greg is with the geography of China, Australia and the Philippines. I genuinely enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with each other. For example, the companionship of Jacko and Jamie is excellent. Their meeting with Lee Drake is another interesting part as he “proves to be very helpful in trying to track down the people behind a major opium-smuggling operation in China.” The presence of Sarah, Jacko’s young half-sister, makes the book even more interesting. She also proves to be very useful during Jamie and Jacko’s operations “due to her remarkable tracking and bush craft skills.”
I am recommending Conflict on the Yangtze to any age group, especially those who enjoy reading historical fiction stories. The fact that I enjoyed the book and only managed to spot very few errors makes me to sincerely rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Conflict on the Yangtze
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The book Conflict on the Yangtze is a historical fiction novel written by Greg Kater. This very captivating book is his fourth and follows after the Warramunga trilogy. It is set in post war China, as well as the Philippines and Australia.
The year is 1946 and two M16 operatives, Commander Daniel Stafford and his companion Lee Drake, are in Shanghai, China, to track down a suspected conspiracy smuggling opium out of China into the USA, Australia and the Philippines. While spying on one of the settlements near the Yangtze River, the two are spotted and pursued by the guards. While Drake manages to escape into the woods, Stafford is shot at and it is not known whether he survives or not. After the shooting of Stafford, Colonel John Cook, from M16 in London, is prompted to request the services of Jamie Munro and Jack ‘Jacko’ O’Brien of the CIS, Commonwealth Investigation Services. Johnny wants Jamie and Jacko to get to Shanghai to continue with Stafford’s operation.
Just before the start of the first chapter of the book, it is interesting that Greg has included a map showing the area around the Yangtze River. He has also included another map of the central part of Greater Shanghai and a picture of part of the city showing the way it looked in 1946. Even if I have not visited the city before, I felt as if I was present when Drake was welcoming Jamie and Jacko in Shanghai and pointing out to them some of the surrounding buildings.
The author is clever enough to ensure that he gives the back ground information of each character he introduces. He carefully does this either immediately or at a later stage. Either way, he ensures that the reader is not lost. Particularly, I like the way he has connected Jamie, Jacko and Colonel John Cook. How they have worked together in the past, “involved in eliminating the operations of a number of gangs involved in criminal activities in the aftermath of the war”, leaves the reader to figure out on his own why they are together in China.
I like the set up of the book the most because it shows how very familiar Greg is with the geography of China, Australia and the Philippines. I genuinely enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with each other. For example, the companionship of Jacko and Jamie is excellent. Their meeting with Lee Drake is another interesting part as he “proves to be very helpful in trying to track down the people behind a major opium-smuggling operation in China.” The presence of Sarah, Jacko’s young half-sister, makes the book even more interesting. She also proves to be very useful during Jamie and Jacko’s operations “due to her remarkable tracking and bush craft skills.”
I am recommending Conflict on the Yangtze to any age group, especially those who enjoy reading historical fiction stories. The fact that I enjoyed the book and only managed to spot very few errors makes me to sincerely rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Conflict on the Yangtze
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
