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Seafaring and African Adventure Books
by J. Gordon Mumford
The Black Pit and Beyond covers Gordon's experiences on the Scottish Heather (torpedoed in the Battle of the Atlantic, 1942), on the Empire Harmony in the Mediterranean during the North African and Italian campaigns (1943/44), as well as on the Empire Path (sunk in the Battle of the Scheldt, 1944).
The Sampan Girl is the sequel to The Black Pit and Beyond, and takes place in the Pacific war theatre. Gordon is the sole radio officer on a small tanker involved in the Malayan beachhead landings and the postwar clean-up operations in 1945-46. Having survived the trauma of war and childhood abuse, Gordon finally finds love and compassion in the arms of Anni, the sampan girl. They want to marry, but Anni is not free.
Dangerous Waters is a collection of ten short stories about Gordon's experiences during World War Two. It includes his first ship, the Soborg, and the voyage to Iceland; minesweeping in Borneo on the Luling;and two voyages on his last ship, Adolph S. Ochs, to eastern Canada and Argentina.
The VHF survey and the men whose work took them to the mountaintops (also see photos)
Many years ago, the drum was a means of communication. In the African books -- White Man's Drum and Drums of Rebellion -- the 'drum' was being replaced by the VHF radio telecommunications routes that brought modern long distance telecommunications to Kenya in the early 1950s. This technology was the basis for broadband and other technologies now used throughout the world.
In the early 1950s, East Africa was evolving from colonial status to independence and nationhood. Covering the period 1949 to 1958, these books depict how a young man went from idealism (White Man's Drum), through disenchantment (Drums of Rebellion), to acceptance of reality, that is, the equality and universality of mankind (For the Love of a Woman).
White Man's Drum: Tales of the East African Bundu
Bored and restless after his wartime experiences, Gordon came to Kenya in 1949 looking for adventure. Employed as an assistant engineer, he was one of a small group working on the VHF radio repeater survey project. The lure of the word 'safari' was irresistible. Working in remote areas, they tested radio signals between various mountains, searching for a viable route for the backbone system. This is the story of the survey of protoype VHF radio-repeater route that stretched from Kampala to Dar es Salaam. Their adventures included encounters with inhospitable country, wild animals, and extreme weather conditions.
Drums of Rebellion: Kenya in Chaos
In October 1952, the small group of men working on the VHF radio repeater survey project found themselves working in the midst of a savage civil war in central Kenya. The Kikuyu tribe was split into two factions: loyalists who supported the colonial government and Mau Mau insurgents who wanted to overturn the white-controlled government and drive the settlers from the land. Gordon was assigned to install emergency radio equipment on remote farms. That done, the push was on to complete the VHF route.
Works in Progress
For the Love of a Woman
Kenya in 1950s. Excerpt. Publication date to be announced. For the Love of a Woman is the third book set in this critical decade, will be published in 2009. The years leading up to independence were filled with uncertainty, signalling a time of change and decision for many. Gordon had planned to stay in Kenya, but wanted to study for an engineering degree, but his personal world crashed about him. Driven by events, he left a country he loved, and began to drift aimlessly. But fate has something else in store....
Tales from the NFD
Stories from Kenya's Northern Frontier District. Excerpt
Ordering from the UK? Books also available as UK Special offer. Applies only to purchases sent to the UK and paid in £ Sterling (GBP)
