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The Savage Family Chronicles #6
The Ravi Lancers
January, 1914.
They had suffered at the hands of the Raj; now they were being asked to die in its name…
Reinforcing all that Prince Krishna Ram admires about Britain, in Warren Bateman it seems the Ravi Lancers have a decent commanding officer.
A professional soldier, when the Rajah’s heir volunteers the Ravi Lancers to accompany the Indian forces destined for Europe, it is Bateman who guides their path.
In the opening months of the First World War, the fields of Flanders could not have been a tougher proving ground for them.
But battle affects men in different ways, and while the bloody carnage draws Krishna ever closer to his men, Bateman retreats behind rigid military patriotism.
As they slowly forge themselves from a prince’s private army into a unit as effective as any regulars on the front line, Bateman tramples over their customs and traditions.
A clash with Krishna is inevitable…
In the trenches far from home, the tear between allegiance to their own ancient deities and their debt to an alien god of war starts to cause a wound deeper than any man-made weapon.
Dying for a cause not their own, every man of the Ravi Lancers faces the ultimate choice: who do they follow?
Making their fateful choice, the consequences for all will be severe… nothing will be the same again.
They had suffered at the hands of the Raj; now they were being asked to die in its name…
Reinforcing all that Prince Krishna Ram admires about Britain, in Warren Bateman it seems the Ravi Lancers have a decent commanding officer.
A professional soldier, when the Rajah’s heir volunteers the Ravi Lancers to accompany the Indian forces destined for Europe, it is Bateman who guides their path.
In the opening months of the First World War, the fields of Flanders could not have been a tougher proving ground for them.
But battle affects men in different ways, and while the bloody carnage draws Krishna ever closer to his men, Bateman retreats behind rigid military patriotism.
As they slowly forge themselves from a prince’s private army into a unit as effective as any regulars on the front line, Bateman tramples over their customs and traditions.
A clash with Krishna is inevitable…
In the trenches far from home, the tear between allegiance to their own ancient deities and their debt to an alien god of war starts to cause a wound deeper than any man-made weapon.
Dying for a cause not their own, every man of the Ravi Lancers faces the ultimate choice: who do they follow?
Making their fateful choice, the consequences for all will be severe… nothing will be the same again.
447 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1972
12 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
John Masters
156 books52 followersMasters was the son of a lieutenant-colonel whose family had a long tradition of service in the Indian Army. He was educated at Wellington and Sandhurst. On graduating from Sandhurst in 1933, he was seconded to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) for a year before applying to serve with the 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles. He saw service on the North-West Frontier with the 2nd battalion of the regiment, and was rapidly given a variety of appointments within the battalion and the regimental depot, becoming the Adjutant of the 2nd battalion in early 1939.
During World War II his battalion was sent to Basra in Iraq, during the brief Anglo-Iraqi War. Masters subsequently served in Iraq, Syria and Persia. In early 1942, he attended the Indian Army Staff College at Quetta. Here he met the wife of a fellow officer and began an affair. They were later to marry. This caused a small scandal at the time.
After Staff College he first served as Brigade Major in 114th Indian Infantry Brigade before being "poached" by "Joe" Lentaigne, another officer from 4th Gurkhas, to be Brigade Major in 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. From March, 1944, the brigade served behind the Japanese lines in Burma. On the death of General Orde Wingate on 24 April, Lentaigne became the Chindits' overall commander and Masters commanded the main body of 111 Brigade.
In May, the brigade was ordered to hold a position code-named ‘Blackpool’ near Mogaung in northern Burma. The isolated position was attacked with great intensity for seventeen days and eventually the brigade was forced to withdraw. Masters had to order the medical orderlies to shoot 19 of his own men, casualties who had no hope of recovery or rescue. Masters later wrote about these events in the second volume of his autobiography, The Road Past Mandalay.
After briefly commanding the 3rd battalion of his regiment, Masters subsequently became GSO1 (the Chief of Staff) of Indian 19th Infantry Division, which was heavily involved in the later stages of the Burma Campaign, until the end of the war. After a spell as a staff officer in GHQ India in Delhi, he then served as an instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberley. He left the army after this posting, and moved to the United States, where he attempted to set up a business promoting walking tours in the Himalayas, one of his hobbies. The business was not a success and, to make ends meet, he decided to write of his experiences in the army. When his novels proved popular, he became a full-time writer.
In later life, Masters and his wife Barbara moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. He died in 1983 from complications following heart surgery. His family and friends scattered his ashes from an aeroplane over the mountain trails he loved to hike. General Sir Michael Rose, the former UN commander in Bosnia, is a stepson of Masters.
During World War II his battalion was sent to Basra in Iraq, during the brief Anglo-Iraqi War. Masters subsequently served in Iraq, Syria and Persia. In early 1942, he attended the Indian Army Staff College at Quetta. Here he met the wife of a fellow officer and began an affair. They were later to marry. This caused a small scandal at the time.
After Staff College he first served as Brigade Major in 114th Indian Infantry Brigade before being "poached" by "Joe" Lentaigne, another officer from 4th Gurkhas, to be Brigade Major in 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. From March, 1944, the brigade served behind the Japanese lines in Burma. On the death of General Orde Wingate on 24 April, Lentaigne became the Chindits' overall commander and Masters commanded the main body of 111 Brigade.
In May, the brigade was ordered to hold a position code-named ‘Blackpool’ near Mogaung in northern Burma. The isolated position was attacked with great intensity for seventeen days and eventually the brigade was forced to withdraw. Masters had to order the medical orderlies to shoot 19 of his own men, casualties who had no hope of recovery or rescue. Masters later wrote about these events in the second volume of his autobiography, The Road Past Mandalay.
After briefly commanding the 3rd battalion of his regiment, Masters subsequently became GSO1 (the Chief of Staff) of Indian 19th Infantry Division, which was heavily involved in the later stages of the Burma Campaign, until the end of the war. After a spell as a staff officer in GHQ India in Delhi, he then served as an instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberley. He left the army after this posting, and moved to the United States, where he attempted to set up a business promoting walking tours in the Himalayas, one of his hobbies. The business was not a success and, to make ends meet, he decided to write of his experiences in the army. When his novels proved popular, he became a full-time writer.
In later life, Masters and his wife Barbara moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. He died in 1983 from complications following heart surgery. His family and friends scattered his ashes from an aeroplane over the mountain trails he loved to hike. General Sir Michael Rose, the former UN commander in Bosnia, is a stepson of Masters.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 25, 2022
Mostly unknown these days, Masters wrote many best sellers in the 50s and 60s, focusing on the relationships between the British Raj and the Indian people. This book looks at an Indian cavalry regiment serving on the Western Front in WW I. Masters served in a Gurkha regiment before and during WW II and understood the culture clash between the British officers and their Indian soldiers. Ironically, Masters discovered late in life that he had an Indian ancestor.
March 25, 2023
I don't think I have ever picked up a book where all the reviews were good - I couldn't see a single one star rating, so was looking forward to giving it a go. I wouldn't even say now that it's a 'bad' book - the writing is good, but I just found it so slow. I get that the whole culture clash stuff is interesting, but intersperse it with a bit more action would have kept me more engaged ... after all, the regiment is at war. After pausing to read something else, I found myself dragging my heals about returning to the characters, so decided it to call it a day.
June 29, 2016
[Disclaimer. Because I had reviewed Bhowani Junction by the same author, I was contacted by the e-publisher of The Ravi Lancers and asked to review it.]
The story is about World War I and a troop of Indian soldiers who have been trained in fighting methodologies of the past, being mounted on horses and using lances and sabres as weapons. With a British commander Warren Bateman they are sent to France to fight against the German invaders.
Not only is there the conflict between the Western powers and Germany, but the conflict between the Indians and British over culture, attitudes, race and expectations as well as conflict between Warren Bateman and his commanders regarding Indian cultural needs.
John Masters has seemingly decided to not only go into the minutest detail of everything from horse reins and use of toilets, through to covering every possible aspect that troops and countries might face in a period of war. Add to that is the story of the main Indian character, Krishna Ram and his relationship with the British commander who happens to have a sister (Diana) in London who almost immediately falls in love with the Krishna Ram. Our Krishna Ram, believe it or not even manages to arrange a liaison with his paramour in Paris, and this in the middle of WWI.
An overexposure to detail and a story that I found hard to believe left me rather disappointed.
The story is about World War I and a troop of Indian soldiers who have been trained in fighting methodologies of the past, being mounted on horses and using lances and sabres as weapons. With a British commander Warren Bateman they are sent to France to fight against the German invaders.
Not only is there the conflict between the Western powers and Germany, but the conflict between the Indians and British over culture, attitudes, race and expectations as well as conflict between Warren Bateman and his commanders regarding Indian cultural needs.
John Masters has seemingly decided to not only go into the minutest detail of everything from horse reins and use of toilets, through to covering every possible aspect that troops and countries might face in a period of war. Add to that is the story of the main Indian character, Krishna Ram and his relationship with the British commander who happens to have a sister (Diana) in London who almost immediately falls in love with the Krishna Ram. Our Krishna Ram, believe it or not even manages to arrange a liaison with his paramour in Paris, and this in the middle of WWI.
An overexposure to detail and a story that I found hard to believe left me rather disappointed.
January 15, 2020
Reading this, I remembered the bright ancient sky of India, the noble elephants, the temples - one world I knew a part of - then the lost valleys I'd explored with Penelope, the sad churches with their lists of names - then the world whose border I'd often dreamed of - the platforms with khaki clad ghosts - the smell of blood and clay
July 31, 2021
Outstanding
Great book, I enjoy reading John Masters and his tales of the British and Indian Armies. Outstanding World War book, highly recommend to military historians
Great book, I enjoy reading John Masters and his tales of the British and Indian Armies. Outstanding World War book, highly recommend to military historians
February 11, 2022
I found this to be a fascinating story of Indian soldiers in WWI France - the cultural differences, the difficulty accepting the reality of the English priorities, the struggle to keep friendships once removed from India.
March 28, 2018
A fascinating development of a sensible, well-intentioned Englishman, less racially prejudiced than most, under the stress of leading a troop of Indian soldiers during WWI.
September 11, 2015
This book is set in the First World War and tells the story of the Ravi Lancers, an Indian cavalry regiment, who go to fight on the side of the allies due to their country and military being ruled by the British, but they soon end up fighting as infantry instead of cavalry and despite some battlefield successes, they also experience the brutality of war and the hellish conditions of the trenches.
There is much more than the harrowing war story though. As the story progresses, from a relatively harmonious environment in India, before the Ravi Lancers go to war, to the unforeseen hell of the battlefield with previously unencountered weapons and methods of war, pressures build and relationships deteriorate. Whilst what happens on the battlefield remains central to the story, many other issues come into play, which helps make "The Ravi Lancers" a deep, thought provoking, entertaining and suspenseful read.
For example; the differing standards, values and expectations of the British and Indian cultures and how the consequent behaviour and practices cause friction between the British senior commander and the Indian senior officer, which eventually leads to out and out defiance and to a position where neither can back down (to say more might result in a spoiler). There is a theme of a condescending, patronising attitude of the British to the Indians, which at the time was perhaps a set of assumptions common throughout society and maybe even accepted without complaint by many Indians, but which now would be considered unacceptably racist, that played a significant part in the story and led to many of the problems between the 2 main characters.
The main British character suffers many problems in his personal life as a result of his involvement in the war, and his relationship with his family members suffers as well as that with the main Indian character. These problems are doubtless influenced and exacerbated by the pressures of war, and many would probably not have occurred without his involvement on the battlefield. Ultimately when the story concludes, none of the characters emerge undamaged, but some are more damaged than others. There is no happy ending, but that helps make it realistic and does not detract from the story's quality.
This is the 4th John Masters book, set in World War 1, that I have read in the past 18 months, and they all cleverly weave together everyday human characteristics and behaviour with the impact of the war on the lives of people at the front, and on the lives of their friends and loved ones who are not at the front. Some of the things that happen would not do so if it was not for the war, but the interplay of human fallibilities in a wartime environment provides a suspenseful but realistic dimension in addition to the battlefield action. The way he describes events and emotions is excellent and you can almost feel what the person in the story feels.
If I was to criticise the book, I would say that it was a bit difficult to get into at first and some (but not all) of the battlefield scenes were a bit difficult to visualise, but on the whole I really enjoyed "The Ravi Lancers" and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends.
There is much more than the harrowing war story though. As the story progresses, from a relatively harmonious environment in India, before the Ravi Lancers go to war, to the unforeseen hell of the battlefield with previously unencountered weapons and methods of war, pressures build and relationships deteriorate. Whilst what happens on the battlefield remains central to the story, many other issues come into play, which helps make "The Ravi Lancers" a deep, thought provoking, entertaining and suspenseful read.
For example; the differing standards, values and expectations of the British and Indian cultures and how the consequent behaviour and practices cause friction between the British senior commander and the Indian senior officer, which eventually leads to out and out defiance and to a position where neither can back down (to say more might result in a spoiler). There is a theme of a condescending, patronising attitude of the British to the Indians, which at the time was perhaps a set of assumptions common throughout society and maybe even accepted without complaint by many Indians, but which now would be considered unacceptably racist, that played a significant part in the story and led to many of the problems between the 2 main characters.
The main British character suffers many problems in his personal life as a result of his involvement in the war, and his relationship with his family members suffers as well as that with the main Indian character. These problems are doubtless influenced and exacerbated by the pressures of war, and many would probably not have occurred without his involvement on the battlefield. Ultimately when the story concludes, none of the characters emerge undamaged, but some are more damaged than others. There is no happy ending, but that helps make it realistic and does not detract from the story's quality.
This is the 4th John Masters book, set in World War 1, that I have read in the past 18 months, and they all cleverly weave together everyday human characteristics and behaviour with the impact of the war on the lives of people at the front, and on the lives of their friends and loved ones who are not at the front. Some of the things that happen would not do so if it was not for the war, but the interplay of human fallibilities in a wartime environment provides a suspenseful but realistic dimension in addition to the battlefield action. The way he describes events and emotions is excellent and you can almost feel what the person in the story feels.
If I was to criticise the book, I would say that it was a bit difficult to get into at first and some (but not all) of the battlefield scenes were a bit difficult to visualise, but on the whole I really enjoyed "The Ravi Lancers" and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends.
December 6, 2016
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free copy of this from the publisher.
Fans of John Masters two fabulous pieces of autobiography, Bugles and a Tiger, and the Road to Mandalay, will find a lot interesting here as he grapples with the costs of imperialism, war, and what the british presence in India has cost both sides.
Those coming into it purely as a novel will find it dated, and may need to occasionally remind themselves that the views on race, homosexuality, etc, are those of a WWII vet writing in the 70's who was actually quite progressive for his time.
As one would expect from a military author, the book is full of fantastic military detail and combat sequences.
Fans of John Masters two fabulous pieces of autobiography, Bugles and a Tiger, and the Road to Mandalay, will find a lot interesting here as he grapples with the costs of imperialism, war, and what the british presence in India has cost both sides.
Those coming into it purely as a novel will find it dated, and may need to occasionally remind themselves that the views on race, homosexuality, etc, are those of a WWII vet writing in the 70's who was actually quite progressive for his time.
As one would expect from a military author, the book is full of fantastic military detail and combat sequences.
June 1, 2010
Fascinating and jarring view of what happens when you transplant native Indian army soldiers into the first World War. As usual, Masters is on top of every detail of warfare, from the confusing ranks of soldiers in different armies to exactly how life was "lived" in the trenches. Worth a read along with almost all of his other books about India, Indian soldiers under British officers, and the transition from a colony to a country.
January 14, 2008
Indian Lancers on the battlefields of WWI.
April 17, 2015
Rattling good tale plus. The plus being changes in England in first years of war and the interaction between Indians and Europeans.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews