1. The Noise of Zulu Battle
South Africa, 1877. Andrew Baird, son of the celebrated Jack Windrush, hopes to escape his father’s reputation and establish a life of his own. As British and Zulu relations collapse into war, personal loss and the abduction of a woman close to him draw Andrew into…
2. The Sound of Boer Rifles
South Africa, 1880. Andrew Baird commands the Natal Dragoons as Boer resistance to British annexation develops into open war. He must combine mounted operations and the defence of isolated positions with the search for a German agent, while Mariana Maxwell struggles to recover from earlier trauma.…
3. The Chill of the Irrawaddy
Burma, 1885. Andrew Baird travels up the Irrawaddy as British forces move against King Thibaw’s kingdom, but his immediate purpose is to rescue a young girl held by a dacoit leader. The rapid occupation of Mandalay gives way to a less orderly struggle involving royal soldiers,…
4. Jigsaw on the Khyber
North-West Frontier, 1895. Andrew Baird accompanies a British agent toward Chitral as rumours of Russian involvement intensify and a small garrison comes under siege. He joins Colonel Kelly’s relief force, then follows evidence through the Khyber Pass and the Tirah, where tribal politics and imperial intelligence…
5. Holding for the Queen
South Africa, 1899. Captain Andrew Baird and the Royal Malverns return to war as Boer forces invade Natal. British concern for the Uitlanders and imperial control collides with Boer determination to preserve independence, drawing Andrew through the opening battles and into the siege of Ladysmith. On…
6. Fighting the Phantom Army
South Africa, 1901. The Boer War has become a contest of mobile commandos, blockhouses and scorched-earth measures rather than set-piece battles. Captain Andrew Baird receives command of the inexperienced Natal Dragoons and orders to hunt the elusive Van Collier Commando led in part by Jacoba du…