The King's Rifle

by Biyi Bandele-Thomas

Book Overview

It's winter 1944 and the Second World War is entering its most crucial state. A few months ago fourteen-year-old Ali Banana was a blacksmith's apprentice in his rural hometown in West Africa; now he's trekking through the Burmese jungle. Led by the unforgettably charismatic Sergeant Damisa, the unit has been given orders to go behind enemy lines and wreak havoc. But Japanese snipers lurk behind every tree--and even if the unit manages to escape,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061582662
• ISBN13: 9780061582660
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A novel that honors the soldiers in WWII's Burma campaign as well as any history

This coming-of-age novel of a Nigerian soldier, humorously named Ali Banana, in the Burma campaign during World War II is simply marvelous ... enchanting ... charming ... and unforgettable. It's comic and tragic. The merry verve of Nigerian English infuses the dialogs. So does the banter of Hausas, Yorubas, Ibos, and Tivs thrown together in the same unit -- and the reactions of their sometimes perplexed British officers and NCOs. As the Nigerians deploy into Burma, the lighthearted scenes turn horrific as they fight off Japanese suicide formations attempting to dislodge them from White City. And there are ... the leeches. The gifted Nigerian playwright Biyi Bandele took the war stories he heard from his father and added what he learned from background research on the troops from Britain's African colonies fighting the Japanese in Burma, the 1944 campaign of the Chindits, and the legendary commander of the Chindits, Major General Orde Wingate. "The King's Rifle" (the British edition was titled "Burma Boy") is fiction. Yet this lively novel commemorates the campaign and honors its ordinary soldiers as well as any history. The personal account of the Burma campaign written by George MacDonald Frazier, "Quartered Safe Out Here," is one of the best memoirs written by a private soldier from any nation during the entire war -- take John Keegan's word for it. "The King's Rifle" well merits a place on the bookshelf next to it. -30-

Accurate and well written fictional account of African soldiers in the Burma Campaign

Biyi Bandele (1967-) is an award-winning playwright who was born in Nigeria and currently lives in London. He has also written four novels, including The King's Rifle, which was originally published as Burma Boy in 2007 in the UK. The King's Rifle is a historical novel about black African soldiers who served in World War II in the Burma Campaign against the Japanese. The characters are based on actual participants in the war, based on Bandele's research and on the stories told by his father, who served in the Burma Campaign. The main character is a 13 year old Nigerian boy, Ali Banana, who lies about his age and manages to get enlisted for battle with his older friends. He contracts chicken pox, and instead of going off with his friends, he is sent to fight with the Chindits, a legendary British Special Forces unit founded by General Charles Wingate, who makes a striking appearance early in the book. His unit, made up of Nigerians commanded by Sergeant Damisa, a father like figure to his young charges, is sent to Burma to fight alongside British Army and British Indian Army forces. The units meet at White City, a stronghold that the Japanese attempt to reacquire. The young men must grow up quickly, as their training has been meager and they don't receive much support or respect from their British and Indian colleagues. The fortress is relentlessly attacked by swarms of Japanese forces, and the Chindits are provided with very little outside support, which begins to take its toll on them. This is an enjoyable story of an unfamiliar piece of military history, with engaging characters and rapid fire action.

Chindit-22

I wish it was longer. Often gruesome/painful it is also a funny, withering look at a little known part of WWII. Lots of echoes of Catch-22, less of Evelyn Waugh (the publisher evokes Waugh in their promotional copy). I look forward to reading more books by this writer.

Sadly Noble

After reading histories of the Pacific theater in World War 2, I was amazed by the commitment of men from the West African nations. Truly it is a topic that requires further exploration in both fiction and nonfiction. The King's Rifle personalized the experience of these proud recruits and does a great job uncovering their cultural and language differences even as they band together to fight the Japanese. It is a short novella that leaves you wanting more. The boredom punctuated by short bursts of confusion and fear are well articulated and the characters are developed enough for the reader to fill in any blanks in their personalities. In short, it engages the reader in the process of the story which allowed me to finish it in a couple of hours. The book has also caused me to find out more about Orde Wingate as he is displayed as the interesting chap that he was. Overall, the author's background as a playwright kept the pace of the book moving and the dialogue engrossing - the historic background was an incredibly interesting set for the novella to play out.

An Unknown Soldier Is Heard

In The King's Rife by Biyi Bandele, we are taken into the maddening world of World War II African soldiers who fought for the British against the Japanese in Burma. These soldiers were part the Allied Special Forces, known as Chindits, named after the Burmese mythical winged lion. While this was a diverse group of soldiers, little is known about the African soldiers and their contributions to the war effort. The story also centers on the coming-of-age of Ali Banana. Ali Banana, a thirteen year-old, who is indentured as apprentice to a cruel blacksmith, decides on a whim to follow his older friends as they march off to join the British to fight a war they know little about. Ali's superior know that he is underage, but they are not aware how young he really is and is soon shipped off to be trained in India in preparation of being dropped behind enemy lines in the Burma jungle. While Ali is a fictional character, the horrors of war we witness through his eyes are all based on factual events. The author's background as a playwright is evident as the novel reads like a play with dialogue setting the scenes for us. The scenes were played out in my mind as if I were watching a play. One of the most effective uses of dialogue in the book is in ordinary conversations among the men as they wait for the nightly attacks from the Japanese. Through these conversations we learn of the differences among the West Africans that are part of the Chindits, in their religion and tribal differences. The author also addresses the issues of race and class that existed during the time period, but does it in an implicit manner. But this is primarily a military story and the author has done his research on the techniques and cruelties from both the British and Japanese. I enjoyed reading about this lesser known piece of history but I believe having more historical background incorporated into the storyline would have enhanced the reading experience. I recommend this book for fans of historical fiction and military history. Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories will also be interested in the learning how Ali learns about the larger world and becomes a man. Reviewed by Beverly APOOO BookClub April 21, 2009