A.E.W.Mason - "The Broken Road"

Many readers and movie goers will be familiar with "The Four Feathers", a few ancients of my generation will remember the somewhat plodding Inspector Hanaud. But I'm willing to bet not many will have read what I consider to be the best of Mason's novels - "The Broken Road". Set in the North West Frontier of India pre WW1 - Mason never visited India as far as I know - it is a beautifully told story of love, friendship, betrayal and loss, set in an area anyone who reads a paper today will be familiar with - at least the names. NOTHING has changed, except more efficient ways to kill more people, quicker. The politics, the problems: what Mason wrote nearly 100 years ago is almost as valid today as it was then. His descriptions are beautiful, his characters finely drawn, his atmosphere breathable. I was so very pleasantly surprised becuase I'd never heard of it either. You can download it for free at Gutenberg or ManyBooks. Enjoy. I did.