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Kill Kitchener

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Member Reviews

Blasco provides an exceptional and interesting account of the historical events of 1899 and later. The storyline keeps the reader interested during all times and makes one wonder what may happen next. The 19th to 20th centuries presented the world with complex events associated with colonialism, the discovery of diamonds and gold associated with complex relationships within a diversity of countries. The book allows the reader to experience these historical happenings and the influences these events had on people's daily survival.

The author presents the ability to bring the history to your home and make the reader gain a deeper insight into the world events of the time. The relationships between the British Empire and Africa impacted significantly on people's lives, but also their daily worldviews as well as their sense of place. Readers who enjoy historical reading associated with the British Empire, fight for land and minerals within the South African context, will find this book a must read.

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The author's first published book and a highly successful one in presenting the world of late 1800s to early 1900s in England and South Africa. The lead protagonist: Fritz Duquesne was a man that actually lived during that period and is thought to have interacted with many of the key figures portrayed in the book.
Fritz is an individual born into a high-level family with his father and uncle holding leadership positions in the emerging government of South Africa. He is sent to England by his father as he comes of age and enrolled in Oxford University where he is to complete a liberal arts education to properly fit him for a leadership role in the land of his birth. By chance Fritz meets another young man on his arrival in England, of noble birth, and also destined to attend Oxford University. The two become great friends with Fritz being invited to Jack's home many times, meeting his parents and his sister. The sister develops a love for Fritz and his father considers him a second son, and an eventual husband for his daughter.
Jack's father, a lord of the realm, is a man that is involved at high levels in the policy making of the British government. He is in favor of sending troops to South Africa to militarily annex the country and begins to think of Fritz as assuming an important position in the government that will be set up. To bolster his plan he arranges for both his son Jack and Fritz to be enrolled in the British military academy, earning commissions and be available to help set policy based on England's directives for the area.
Mr. Blasco also portrays a second group of foreign colonists for high level interaction in South Africa. These are men and women from Ireland fleeing a land with limited opportunity due to adverse economic conditions, and taking an active part in events in Africa. John MacBride was forced to flee Ireland after he became involved with an assassination attempt there. He realizes the need to finance any revolutionary movement and ends up in the gold fields of Africa as a means of obtaining funds to help the revolutionary movement in Ireland.
The novel culminates in the conflict known as the Boer war in which the residents of South Africa fight a basically guerilla action against what was a highly mechanized and disciplined army protecting an empire upon which the sun never sets. Sir Herbert Kitchener is second in command of the British army involved in the fighting. He has attained fame and fast promotion mainly due to his conquest of the Sudan for England and the author depicts him as a martinet with little people skills but a natural soldier quite at home in commanding men involved in battle. A possible tie in which is not brought out in the book is the sinking of a ship Kitchener was on going to attend a meeting in Russia during the first world war. Kitchener was killed and of the many rumors involved in his death was the mention, in real life, of Fritz Duquesne's name as fomenting the assassination.
The novel is easily an all nighter with the reader brought headlong into a tumultuous period in world events. I would certainly be first on line to pick up succeeding books by Mr. Blasco enjoying the work of a fast-emerging author at the top of his game.

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I’m always intrigued by books set in South Africa and Ireland. I have not read a fictional book about this subject before. Especially the way the main character is been drawn to both sides is powerful. The question of where your loyalties lie, and whom can you trust are vital.

I did enjoy the book, but I wish it had been longer. Historical fiction needs more pages to avoid rushing things. I also didn’t really find likable characters in the book, and I think that could have been different if the book was longer. I long for some depth when it comes to the main characters.

Otherwise I enjoy the settings, and especially the bits in Southern Africa. War is never an easy subject to read about, and the brutality is evident. I don’t think I’ve read much about Kitchener before. All in all the Boer wars and African history in general deserves more attention, so a huge thanks to the author for tackling this subject!

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