It is 1899. A young English officer, Jack Whitelaw, leaves hearth, home and his lovely English rose to join his new battalion and help see off the Boer commandos, which have invaded The Natal Colony. The Challenges he faces prove far tougher than originally envisaged, especially when he is wounded and nursed in a Ladysmith hospital by a beautiful Dutch-speaking nurse, Rachel du Toit. Their idyllic romance is put to a severe test when Rachel is forced to flee Ladysmith and Jack's battalion treks around Transvaal, fulfilling Lord Milner's 'scorched earth' policy. You will be fascinated as you follow the physical and emotional trails Jack experiences during the Second Anglo- Boer War. Following his first novel, If I Retreat, Shoot Me, set against the backdrop of South Africa's involvement in the Second World War, Dave Baker has again written an important and highly readable historical novel with honesty and authenticity we have come to expect from him, and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to recommend it to you. Patrick Coyne, The South African Writers' Circle.