Meanwhile, Ian Steele’s younger, rather good looking son, Samuel, is away most of the time learning the family business plying trade in the South Pacific islands, aboard the family owned schooner, the Ella. It has an American captain, a veteran of the American Civil War and crew mates that include Ling Lee, a Chinese man who was brought up and educated in New South Wales. 

Elder brother, Josiah, a sergeant, answers the call, along with hundreds of other soldiers, when they are needed in the Sudan and South Africa as Britain expands its Empire. He does this despite the ultimatum from Marian, the girl he loves, ‘choose me or the Army’. 

The two parts of the story are told in tandem, as are the exploits of Colonel Ian Steel and his good friend Conan Curry. Enter the detective, Paull who, when seeing the newspaper article and photos reporting the return of Conan, remembers what happened those thirty years ago, leading to some interesting events beyond the Blue Mountains.

It’s thrilling reading when Samuel and crew members enter into a dangerous and life threatening situation, when deviating and sailing to Singapore as they become involved in gun running. Ling Lee encounters prejudice, threats to his life and prison, when rescuing a young Irish teacher. The day she arrives in the colony of Queensland, she finds she’s been duped by a proposal of marriage that cannot take place. 

On one of these ventures to check what the German military were doing in German New Guinea undercover of a trading trip, they encounter a possible hostility from a German boat coming towards them.

They discover his old friend a Prussian Duke with close ties to the Kaiser. The tense situation is instantly diffused and so leads to another intriguing aspect, with invitations to visit the family in Sydney, impending marriage, spying and a hurried departure.

Back in South Africa, Josiah, and his close friend George, are fighting the Boers in fierce battles, burning down homes and destroying farms belonging to "the Dutchies" and also having to deal with a cowardly and particularly nasty, jealous commanding officer, Anderson, who, because of his incompetence, makes fatal mistakes.

On his return to the Colony he declares himself a war hero, much to the chagrin of Josiah Steele, now a decorated war hero. Animosity fuels a nasty battle between the two me and another fatality.

Call to Empire is for anyone who enjoys a good adventurous story.. It has adventure, memories, underworld, pirates, love, marriages, fighting in wars for Queen and country with stories on the battlefields, strong women, politics, Federation, World War I with  an interesting scenario. Based on several actual events, it is well researched, well written and a good book to read. 

The author, Peter Watt has interesting and wide experience. He has been a soldier, articled clerk to a solicitor, prawn trawler deckhand, builder's labourer, pipe layer, real estate salesman, private investigator, police sergeant and adviser to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. He has lived and worked with Aborigines, Islanders, Vietnamese and Papua New Guineans and speaks, reads and writes Vietnamese and Pidgin. He now lives at Maclean, on the Clarence River in northern New South Wales. He is a volunteer firefighter with the Rural Fire service, and is interested in fishing and the vast opens spaces of outback Queensland.

This is independent review, I am not paid by the publishers, so.If you Liked this review, Buy me a coffee



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