1. The Horns of the Buffalo
In 1879 Lieutenant Simon Fonthill arrives in southern Africa with his reputation under a cloud. His former commanding officer has branded him a coward, and a dangerous reconnaissance mission into Zululand offers a chance to prove otherwise. Accompanied by the irrepressible Welshman ‘352’ Jenkins, Fonthill is…
2. The Road to Kandahar
After surviving the Zulu campaign, Simon Fonthill and ‘352’ Jenkins are sent almost immediately to another volatile frontier. In 1879 they travel through British India toward Afghanistan, where Fonthill must enter hostile tribal country, gather intelligence and discover the intentions of forces preparing to challenge the…
3. The Diamond Frontier
Simon Fonthill and Jenkins return to southern Africa as diamond wealth, Boer resistance and African power make the Transvaal increasingly unstable. An appeal from an old friend takes them first into the violent world surrounding the diamond fields, but rescue soon becomes entangled with military service.…
4. Last Stand at Majuba Hill
In 1881 Simon Fonthill is summoned by Major-General George Pomeroy Colley as rebellion spreads through the Transvaal. Fonthill knows the Boer commandos cannot safely be dismissed as disorganised farmers, but Colley is determined to restore British authority quickly. A covert diplomatic mission with Jenkins gives Fonthill…
5. The Guns of el Kebir
In 1882 Garnet Wolseley calls Simon Fonthill back into service as Britain prepares to intervene in Egypt. Fonthill and Jenkins are sent ahead of the army to discover the strength and intentions of Ahmed ‘Urabi’s forces, placing them between a nationalist military movement, European interests and…
6. Siege of Khartoum
In 1884 Simon Fonthill is summoned to Cairo for a mission that may be impossible: penetrate the tightening Mahdist blockade of Khartoum and make contact with General Charles George Gordon. With Jenkins beside him, Fonthill must cross a landscape in revolt while Muhammad Ahmad, the Mahdi,…
7. The Shangani Patrol
In 1893 Simon and Alice Fonthill return to southern Africa and are caught between the ambitions of Cecil Rhodes’s British South Africa Company and the kingdom of Lobengula. A suspected Portuguese attempt to undermine agreements over mineral rights brings Simon back into scouting, but the political…
8. The War of the Dragon Lady
In 1900 Simon Fonthill, Alice and Jenkins travel into a China convulsed by the Boxer uprising. Their intention is personal—a visit to Alice’s missionary uncle—but attacks on foreigners and Chinese Christians force them toward Peking with a group of refugees. Reaching the capital brings no safety:…
9. Fire Across the Veldt
In 1900 Simon Fonthill, Alice, Jenkins and the tracker Mzingeli are travelling across South Africa to meet Lord Kitchener when Boer commandos derail their train. The journey becomes a running encounter with mobile guerrilla warfare, and Fonthill is pulled back into military command as British forces…
9.5. Pirates – Starboard Side!
Simon Fonthill, Alice and Jenkins leave the Chinese port of Tientsin bound for Durban after another urgent summons connected with the war in South Africa. Their vessel inspires little confidence even before trouble develops at sea, and the three travellers soon have to rely on their…
10. Bayonets Along the Border
North-West India, 1897. Simon and Alice Fonthill travel with Jenkins to an anniversary gathering of the Guides, only to find the frontier sliding into revolt. After an ambush, Viceroy Lord Elgin gives Simon a sensitive mission to carry a message to the Amir of Afghanistan. While…
11. Treachery in Tibet
In 1903 Simon Fonthill is drawn from relative quiet in India into Lord Curzon’s determination to force diplomatic access to Tibet. He joins the British mission advancing across the Himalayan passes with Alice reporting on the expedition and Jenkins once again at his side. Superior firepower…
12. Dust Clouds of War
In 1914 Simon Fonthill is fifty-nine and visiting his farm in Northern Rhodesia when the First World War reaches Africa. He offers his services to Lord Kitchener, expecting that the decisive struggle will be in Europe, but is told to remain where he is as fighting…