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126th out of 257 books
—
567 voters
Major BS: A Top Secret Mission
by
John Martin (Goodreads Author)
In this funny, satirical book -- which is available in ebook or paperback -- Molly Rowbottom is the latest in a long line to take charge of the family homestead near Canberra. Once it was the home of affluent graziers but now times are tough. Although the locals still look up to her, she is cash poor and has had to lease part of the land to a wind-power farm just to make e...more
Kindle Edition
Published
September 2011
by Amazon
(first published January 1st 2009)
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Between the crocodiles, the sucking-up politicians and the red smoke grenades, there are lots of laughs in this novel. But you probably need a quirky sense of humour to best enjoy it.
The book is set in Australia but some of the main players are expats and the back story is rooted in an orphanage in south London.
Follow some idiosyncratic characters trying to thrive in a world beset with its environmental and societal issues.
The most over-the-top of all is Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe ("Oh, do ca...more
The book is set in Australia but some of the main players are expats and the back story is rooted in an orphanage in south London.
Follow some idiosyncratic characters trying to thrive in a world beset with its environmental and societal issues.
The most over-the-top of all is Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe ("Oh, do ca...more
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Right off the bat the "blah, blah blah, what?" sentences were driving me crazy! I know that the British people do speak like that, but it really distracted me.
I liked the local Aussie (especially Canberra) knowledge and felt that it made the story into something special to me because of it :)
Overall, I didn't love the story - I think I didn't appreciate the satirical humor enough, I think it was a little lost on me. What I did love was the characters, especially Molly and Bax and even good 'ol B...more
I liked the local Aussie (especially Canberra) knowledge and felt that it made the story into something special to me because of it :)
Overall, I didn't love the story - I think I didn't appreciate the satirical humor enough, I think it was a little lost on me. What I did love was the characters, especially Molly and Bax and even good 'ol B...more
Jan 27, 2012
John Martin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Molly Rowbottom is the latest in a long line to take charge of the family homestead near Canberra, once the home of affluent graziers. But although the locals still look up to her, she is cash poor and has had to lease part of the land to a wind-power farm just to make ends meet. That's not enough though and the bank threatens to take it all: her home along with her heritage.
Enter Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe, a former mercenary, who has a much higher opinion of his own abilities than just abo...more
Enter Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe, a former mercenary, who has a much higher opinion of his own abilities than just abo...more
Jan 22, 2012
John Martin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
This book is in ebook and paperback. It is about a bumbling British former army officer, Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe, who marries into cash-poor but artistocratic family in Australia and launches an enterprise to save his wife's historic homestead Rowbottom from bankruptcy. Along the way, he finds and loses some illegal refugees, and seriously annoys his childhood friend, officials in charge of government secrets, and a bunch of high-powered executives. On one level, it's all satirical. But if...more
May 23, 2012
Rick Bavera
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads,
humor
Major BS: A Top Secret Mission was a delightful read.
As I started the book, a book I read as a teenager came back to me: The Mouse That Roared. The humor was (from what I remember of "The Mouse") somewhat similar....sort of farcical.
Major BS is a real character, a real self-centered sort, who is always creating havoc around himself, and unaware that he does so. He thinks he is a hero, and the rest of the world just doesn't appreciate him.
The Major runs a tour company, gets into trouble by being...more
As I started the book, a book I read as a teenager came back to me: The Mouse That Roared. The humor was (from what I remember of "The Mouse") somewhat similar....sort of farcical.
Major BS is a real character, a real self-centered sort, who is always creating havoc around himself, and unaware that he does so. He thinks he is a hero, and the rest of the world just doesn't appreciate him.
The Major runs a tour company, gets into trouble by being...more
This was a humorous and interesting read. It kept me going but it did take a bit for me to get into the flow of it. This Major character I sometimes felt sorry for but other times I wanted to give him a swift kick in the butt. Martin has an quirky style that is one of a kind.
Feb 24, 2013
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MobileMinx
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Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo
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Mar 16, 2012
Abigail
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
firstreads-looks-good
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born e, as e as the wind blows | 1 | 3 | Dec 08, 2011 07:37pm |
I like to see the funny side in things. The silly side too.
By day, I'm a newspaper journalist dealing in seriousness and facts. By night, I twist those facts and poke fun at the seriousness.
My current novel is called Major BS: A Top Secret Mission and it's available as both an ebook and print-on-demand ink-on-paper book.
I also have a couple of previous books cluttering up the bookshelves.
More about John Martin...
By day, I'm a newspaper journalist dealing in seriousness and facts. By night, I twist those facts and poke fun at the seriousness.
My current novel is called Major BS: A Top Secret Mission and it's available as both an ebook and print-on-demand ink-on-paper book.
I also have a couple of previous books cluttering up the bookshelves.
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