Review by brad99 -- The Warramunga's War by Greg Kater
Posted: 05 May 2018, 11:04
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Warramunga's War" by Greg Kater.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The protagonists of The Warramunga's War by Greg Kater are James (Jamie) Munro and Jack (Jacko) O'Brian who, as the the story opens in 1941, are serving with an Australian Army unit fighting the Vichy French in northern Africa. Jamie, pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, is in a desperate position. However, he is joined by Jacko who, by use of a skill which stretches the limits of credulity, quickly eliminates the enemy gunners. Thus, a permanent friendship is formed. As a result of their actions that day, both men earn promotions and a new assignment. They are to go to Cairo, which is a hotbed of spies, both for the Allied nations and for the Germans. Their assignment is to identify the German spies and put them out of business. In collaboration with the Palestine Police Force in Cairo, and the assistance of several brave, intelligent, and beautiful women, the task is accomplished. However, they discover that one of their associates is a traitor and murderer who escapes to Australia before they can bring him to justice.
With the ending of the war in 1945, we find Jamie and Jacko back in their native land of Australia, working for the Commonwealth Investigation Service. They learn that the traitor who escaped them in Cairo is now in Australia, and they determine to track him down. Along the way, they learn that the traitor has joined a gang of robbers and kidnappers, but two volunteers who join Jamie and Jacko help to even the odds somewhat. Only the superb tracking abilities of the half-Aborigine Jacko and his Aborigine half-sister enable the group to track the gang to its lair, where they must devise a plan to kill or capture the gang members without endangering the lives of three kidnapped women.
There are several things I appreciated about the author's style of writing. He introduces the characters efficiently, with enough detail to make them interesting and, as the story moves along, he includes enough subtle reminders to keep the reader from getting the characters confused. In the section that takes place in Cairo, the author smoothly incorporates information about Rommel and the German tank corp, why Rommel needs to capture a sea port, and the Allied effort to prevent this and to drive the Germans out of Egypt.
When the action moves to Australia, we are treated to a description of the country and insight into the life and character of people living in the isolated towns. We also learn the history of several of the small towns and how they were involved in the war effort. Again, the author blends this information into the story in a smooth and natural manner.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I enjoyed the author's writing, there were a few places where I found the dialogue to be a bit stilted. For example, on page 52 Captain John Cook of MI6 says to Major Hardcastle of the Palestine Police Force in Cairo, "Thank you for your time, sir, and for giving us a clear rundown of the nature of this horrific case you are trying to solve." In addition, I found an occasional passage a bit confusing. For example, page 176, where it is stated, "By August 1943,the RAAF and the USAAF had effectively repulsed Japanese fighters and bombers from airfields to the north of Papua New Guinea and from US naval aircraft carriers." For just a second I wondered why Japanese fighters and bombers were flying from US aircraft carriers.
In spite of the spies, thieves, kidnappers and murderers, I did not find this to be a nail-biting, page-turner book. Instead, I felt that the author's style was relaxed. So my recommendation to the prospective reader would be to brew a cup of tea, put your feet up, relax, and prepare to enjoy.
******
The Warramunga's War
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3 out of 4 stars
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The protagonists of The Warramunga's War by Greg Kater are James (Jamie) Munro and Jack (Jacko) O'Brian who, as the the story opens in 1941, are serving with an Australian Army unit fighting the Vichy French in northern Africa. Jamie, pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, is in a desperate position. However, he is joined by Jacko who, by use of a skill which stretches the limits of credulity, quickly eliminates the enemy gunners. Thus, a permanent friendship is formed. As a result of their actions that day, both men earn promotions and a new assignment. They are to go to Cairo, which is a hotbed of spies, both for the Allied nations and for the Germans. Their assignment is to identify the German spies and put them out of business. In collaboration with the Palestine Police Force in Cairo, and the assistance of several brave, intelligent, and beautiful women, the task is accomplished. However, they discover that one of their associates is a traitor and murderer who escapes to Australia before they can bring him to justice.
With the ending of the war in 1945, we find Jamie and Jacko back in their native land of Australia, working for the Commonwealth Investigation Service. They learn that the traitor who escaped them in Cairo is now in Australia, and they determine to track him down. Along the way, they learn that the traitor has joined a gang of robbers and kidnappers, but two volunteers who join Jamie and Jacko help to even the odds somewhat. Only the superb tracking abilities of the half-Aborigine Jacko and his Aborigine half-sister enable the group to track the gang to its lair, where they must devise a plan to kill or capture the gang members without endangering the lives of three kidnapped women.
There are several things I appreciated about the author's style of writing. He introduces the characters efficiently, with enough detail to make them interesting and, as the story moves along, he includes enough subtle reminders to keep the reader from getting the characters confused. In the section that takes place in Cairo, the author smoothly incorporates information about Rommel and the German tank corp, why Rommel needs to capture a sea port, and the Allied effort to prevent this and to drive the Germans out of Egypt.
When the action moves to Australia, we are treated to a description of the country and insight into the life and character of people living in the isolated towns. We also learn the history of several of the small towns and how they were involved in the war effort. Again, the author blends this information into the story in a smooth and natural manner.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I enjoyed the author's writing, there were a few places where I found the dialogue to be a bit stilted. For example, on page 52 Captain John Cook of MI6 says to Major Hardcastle of the Palestine Police Force in Cairo, "Thank you for your time, sir, and for giving us a clear rundown of the nature of this horrific case you are trying to solve." In addition, I found an occasional passage a bit confusing. For example, page 176, where it is stated, "By August 1943,the RAAF and the USAAF had effectively repulsed Japanese fighters and bombers from airfields to the north of Papua New Guinea and from US naval aircraft carriers." For just a second I wondered why Japanese fighters and bombers were flying from US aircraft carriers.
In spite of the spies, thieves, kidnappers and murderers, I did not find this to be a nail-biting, page-turner book. Instead, I felt that the author's style was relaxed. So my recommendation to the prospective reader would be to brew a cup of tea, put your feet up, relax, and prepare to enjoy.
******
The Warramunga's War
View: on Bookshelves
Like brad99's review? Post a comment saying so!