The Four Feathers - Tapa dura

s his commission shortly before being deployed into battle in Africa, his friends and fiancee turn on him, giving him four white feathers . . . symbols of cowardice. But Harry is no coward, and he decides to prove himself. Feversham's quest to restore his honor will take him undercover in the bustling markets of Cairo to the scorching deserts of the Sudan, from unbearable torture at the hands of barbaric tribesmen to ecstasy in the arms of the woman he loves. It is an unforgettable journey and a tale of true heroism and bravery in the finest British tradition. The Four Feathers has been filmed numerous times, most notably with the 1939 adaptation directed by Zoltan Korda and starring John Clements. It remains one of the landmark adventure stories of British soldiery, standing alongside the finest works of Rudyard Kipling and Talbot Mundy with its powerful story and epic scope."

Alfred Edward Wooley Mason was born in 1865. He was educated at Dulwich College before being sent up to Oxford University. Once his formal education was completed, Mason went on to become an actor. He began his writing career with historical fiction and then moved into the arena of politics, becoming a Liberal Member of Parliament for Coventry in 1906. But his love of writing carried on and Mason developed his style to incorporate detective fiction, introducing one of the earliest fictional detectives, Inspector Hanaud, the Gallic counterpart to Sherlock Holmes. His detective fiction contains material clues and spontaneity. Throughout the course of his life he produced over thirty titles. A E W Mason died in 1948.