Honorable Company: A Novel of India Before the Raj - Softcover

Mallinson, Allan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553380443 ISBN 13: 9780553380446

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2001

Synopsis

In a rousing follow-up to the critically acclaimed A Close Run Thing, Captain Matthew Hervey makes the hazardous sea voyage to India for what the Duke of Wellington has called “deuced tricky work.”

As Wellington’s new aide-de-camp, Matthew’s covert mission will embroil him in the jostling of native potentates and England’s encroaching East India Company — both threatened by lawless bands of horsemen bent on plunder and massacre.

When Matthew’s journeying leads him to the small key state of Chintal, he thinks himself close to his objective. But at the rajah’s sumptuous court, he discovers that war in India is waged as often with money and spies as with the clear-cut tactics of the battlefield — with battles won through devious conversations and murderous perfidy. And Matthew, torn between his honor and his destiny, is drawn deeper into the court’s serpentine coils than he ever dreamed....

About this title

From the Back Cover

Action scenes...are expertly detailed, with Mallinson describing battlefield tactics and military uniforms down to the button

"A marvellous read, paced like a well-balanced symphony--Full of surprises and excitement, this is a ripping yarn."
-- The Times
Lavish Praise for Allan Mallinson's

A Close Run Thing

"Now at last a highly literate, deeply read cavalry officer of high rank shows one the nature of horse-borne warfare.... Colonel Mallinson's A Close Run Thing is very much to be welcomed."
-- Patrick O'Brian, author of the Aubrey-Maturin series

"Stirring...stimulating...entertaining...a richness of detail."
-- USA Today

"An astonishingly impressive debut in the field of Napoleonic fiction. Convincingly drawn, perfectly paced, and expertly written, this cavalryman's tale is a joy to read."
-- Anthony Beevor, author of Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege

"A rousing...tale of valiant heroism and dashing derring-do."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"Mallinson expertly captures both the glory and the gore of the battlefield in this sweeping saga.... An exciting historical adventure steeped in authentic military detail."
-- Booklist

"Allan Mallinson...is certainly O'Brian's equal in accurate knowledge of the equipment, methods, weapons, and conditions of service of the fighting men of whom he writes.... This account of the Battle of Waterloo is an imaginative feat of high order."
-- Country Life

"A new series that brings to life the Napoleonic era...a captivating mix of fiction heroes and many of the historical characters who played roles in bringing the French dictator to justice."
- Abilene Reporter-News

"This will delight amateur historians."
-- Publishers Weekly

"A cracking tale of love and heroism in the Napoleonic Wars."
-- Daily Mail (London), four stars

About the Author

Allan Mallinson is a serving cavalry officer in the British army and the author of Light Dragoons, a history of British cavalry. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Rome, where he is military attaché.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0553380443
• ISBN 13: 9780553380446
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320