Happy Memorial Day! This weekend signifies the official start of the summer months. As a kid, summer meant plenty of time to curl up with a good book. I’ve gotten a head start and wrapped up reading my first book for the summer, The King’s Rifle. The King’s Rifle is a gritty portrayal of the black African experience during WWII in Southeast Asia. Many African were sent to fight in WWII on behalf of the British Empire.
Out of curiosity, I decided to do a deeper dive into this experience and a friend suggested that I pick up this book. For the most part Bandele does a wonderful job creating a visual experience that makes the reader feel like they are in the jungles are Burma. The only thing that threw me for a loop was the ending of the book (I won’t give it away). It was like reading a Spike Lee flick with the random ending, but I guess you can do that with fiction.
If you are looking for a quick and entertaining read, I would pick up The King’s Rifle from you local library or bookstore.  Happy Reading.  – LOM (@youngglobal)
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The King’s Rifle
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, infection and disease lie in wait. Homesick and weary, the men of D-Section Thunder Brigade refuse to give up.
Taut and immediate, The King’s Rifle is the first novel to depict the experiences of black African soldiers in the Second World War. This is a story of real life battles, of the men who made the legend of the Chindits, the unconventional, quick-strike division of the British Army in India. Brilliantly executed, this vividly realized account details the madness, sacrifice, and dark humor of that war’s most vicious battleground. It is also the moving story of a boy trying to live long enough to become a man.
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