Review by Karen Andreas: The White Rajah

The White Rajah by Tom Williams

Please note that the giveaway is no longer valid!

Journey into the Heart of Sarawak

A chance encounter with the well-born British adventurer James Brooke in an English tavern changes the life of John Williamson forever. Beginning in the 1830s, this lad from humble beginnings falls in with James and his friends and heads to the other side of the world to adventures unimagined.

John is the story teller here, and his is an authentic voice, reflecting the attitudes and values of his time.  He is well aware of the social gap between him and his hero, James, which makes James’ egalitarian views more profound. Through John’s eyes, James grows from an idealist to a pragmatic ruler as his ambitions for his new country evolve.  

After initial failure, James succeeds in his next attempt to establish a trading foothold in Borneo. He finds himself in the middle of an insurgent movement to overthrow the sultan. It is there that he shines, and James is instrumental in the sultan regaining his throne. As a result, James is appointed the rajah of Sarawak, a small country populated by its native tribes, Malays and the Chinese who have created a trading base.      

This book works on so many levels. It is first and foremost an intimate look on how a white man came to Borneo and painstakingly created a place for himself – and for his new people – in the world. It’s not blood and guts glory, overrunning a country and forcing the white man’s will. James must manage the diverse cultures in Sarawak, establish sound finances for the country and create a portal for the trade of Sarawak’s most valuable commodity, antimony, while protecting the people from exploitation. Interwoven with all these goals are strong personalities and peril. There is military genius at work, of course, but also patience and pride.  

Even more interesting is the piracy that is such a part of Sarawak’s culture. This piracy occurs mainly in the interior of the country – and an entire economy is dependent on destruction and theft. James must root out the pirate tribes to protect the growing trade and financial interests in Sarawak. Apparent success blinds him to the dangers lurking in the jungle, and in a sudden and shocking moment, James faces losing all he has built for his people, for himself and John.

Through it all, John watches with admiration and love as James succeeds and moves forward – and away. Small moments portend great changes – even victories have unintended consequences. A casual kiss leads to an eventual relationship between the hero worshiper and hero. James’ humanity and care for his subjects belies an ambition unleashed at the moment of an execution that opens the door to rule.  The aftermath of the shocking revolt throws up walls that separate more than the outside from the inside.

These are, of course, men of their times, and so lovers’ passion never rules in this story. Military, political and financial pragmatism are the tools James uses to build his country and a successful, beloved dynasty that lasts into the twentieth century. James’ ability to attract talented men is crucial – as is his ability to know when to cut loose these same men. The struggles faced by James and John to navigate life and death, success and failure which often march side by side, are compelling.  

What an odd and interesting story about a part of the world most do not know. An English adventurer brings Sarawak into the stream of civilization, and, in the end, becomes the beloved White Rajah.

For your chance to win a FREE COPY of The White Rajah, simply comment below OR at this review's Facebook thread, located here.

We will draw a random winner from comments. 

About the Author (in his own words…) 

I live in Richmond, which is nice and on the outskirts of London, which is a truly amazing city to live in. My wife is beautiful but, more importantly, she's a lawyer, which is handy because a household with a writer in it always needs someone who can earn decent money. 

I street skate and ski and can dance a mean Argentine tango. I've spent a lot of my life writing very boring things for money (unless you're in customer care, in which case 'Dealing With Customer Complaints' is really, really interesting). Now I'm writing for fun. OK, The White Rajah isn't exactly a bundle of laughs but it has pirates and battles and an evil villain and it's a lot more fun than a review of the impact of legal advice on debt management. 

Readers can learn more about Tom Williams and his books at his blog as well as his Amazon and Amazon UK author pages. He can also be found at Twitter and Facebook. 

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Karen Andreas lives in Florida with three cats, one horse, oh, and her husband Michael. She is the former editor and now contributing writer to the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies; together Karen and Michael serve as webmasters. 

Richard Reviews: Burke and the Bedouin

Today we have a fabulous review from Richard's Reading Room, so

get yourself some coffee and cake and enjoy!

***Please not that the giveaway is no longer valid.***

As Tom Williams explains in his author's notes, James Burke is a real figure from the Napoleonic Wars. This episode from his life, however, is fictional. I like this kind of exploration of possibilities, proposing some hidden reasons behind a historical event. In this case, the event is Nelson's Battle of the Nile, and the unanswered background questions are why the French fleet remained at anchor for so long in Abu Qir Bay, and how Nelson managed to find them there.

Battle of the Nile

We follow Burke and his subordinate William Brown on a series of journeys in lower Egypt between Alexandria and Cairo, through the Nile Delta and the desert lands beside it. Burke's initial task is to spy out French intentions towards Egypt, but this simple mission is rapidly overtaken by the stark reality of an invasion. The military need then switches to the urgency of passing information back to Burke's superiors and the Royal Navy, at the same time seeking to delay and frustrate the French. The climax of the book is the naval battle in the bay, as witnessed from two quite different points of view. It also highlights another theme of the book: warfare is transitioning from the heroics of individuals to the dominance of organised firepower.

The vast majority of the book follows Burke himself, with a smaller section helping us appreciate Brown's travails on a detached mission. The story is told in a laconic style, broadly following the report that Burke might make to his superiors, but including rather more personal detail than they would care about. This style gives the impression of a personal diary, and also conveys something of Burke's personality. For example, we follow the personal struggles of an early 19th century soldier trying to overcome his sense of proper dress in order to blend in to the crowds.

“If the French are looking for a European, wouldn’t it make more sense for you to dress as an Arab?”

Burke had shed his tailcoat in preparation for his journey and was, once again, wearing the wrapping gown which had become his usual attire whilst riding in the desert.
"How much more ridiculous would you have me look?"
Bin Alim glanced pointedly at Burke's breeches and boots, clearly visible below the gown.
"How much more ridiculous could you look?"

As a possible explanation for the French commander's actions before the battle, the tale works well. Burke's relationships with the Bedouin - and to a lesser extent other groups inhabiting Egypt at the time - are credible and sympathetically presented. Perhaps the most compelling part is the battle, in which our protagonists are simply bystanders. The confusion and sheer dogged effort of the crews concerned comes over vividly.

William felt he could hardly breathe for the smoke that filled the gun deck...Around him, gunners were peering out of the ports, while the rest of the crew squinted to see over the gunners' shoulders or gathered where the broken planks of the hull allowed a view of the world outside.

Burke and Brown are the only two characters who are explored to any real depth, but there is a good supporting cast of minor players of several cultures for them to interact with. The focus is definitely on achieving the military goals, rather than exploring the country or its inhabitants for their own sake. Love interest is provided by a Spanish beauty, Bernadita, rescued from a life of slavery and abuse in Cairo. She is, apparently, only too eager to leap into Burke's bed, but does also provide local information and advice at key moments. She is conveniently dumped in Gibraltar in the closing chapter to make her own way home to her family in Grenada.

This is an entertaining light read, set in a corner of the Napoleonic Wars which is often neglected.

For a chance to win a copy of Burke and the Bedouin leave a comment below OR on our Facebook page, located here.

About the Author

Tom Williams used to write books for business, covering everything from the gambling industry to new developments in printing technology. Now he writes about love and adventure in the 19th century, which is not nearly as well paid, but much more fun. It also allows him to pretend that travelling in the Far East and South America is research. Tom lives in London. His main interest is avoiding doing any honest work and this leaves him with time to ski, skate and dance tango, all of which he does quite well.

Readers can learn more about Tom Williams and his books at his blog and his Amazon author page. He can also be found at Twitter, Facebook and his Amazon UK author page.

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Richard Abbott is the author of In a Milk and Honeyed Land and Scenes From a Life. He can be found at his website or blog, on Google+, Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.

Note: This post has been updated to include additional author links.