Dragonfly Soldier of Fortune

About the Book

In the turbulent years following the Second World War, Southeast Asia became a landscape of collapsing empires, communist insurgency, black market fortunes and men prepared to survive by their courage alone. At the centre of this dangerous world stands Rex, a former soldier, adventurer and reluctant mercenary determined to build a life beyond the narrow boundaries of convention. From the crowded streets of post war Singapore to the rubber estates and impregnable jungles of Malaya. Rex becomes a soldier of fortune, selling his skill with weapons while refusing to sell his conscience. He recruits and trains his own force, defends isolated plantations against communist attack, works beneath the gaze of Special Branch and enters a shadowy conflict where the official rules of war mean little. Alongside smugglers, intelligence agents, jungle fighters and fortune hunters, Rex learns that loyalty can be more dangerous than betrayal. And that governments may abandon the very men they have ordered into battle. As the Malayan Emergency intensifies, he is drawn into covert operations, jungle ambushes and ruthless pursuit of insurgent leaders. Yet Rex remains haunted by one question: How far can a man travel into violence before he loses the part of himself worth saving. Inspired by the extraordinary life and recollections of his father, Dragonfly Soldier of Fortune is a gripping tale of survival, courage and moral defiance. It follows one man's journey through war, espionage, forbidden opportunity and personal sacrifice in a world where death waits beneath the jungle canopy and freedom belongs only to those bold enough to seize it. It is the story of a man who made danger his profession, honour his moral compass and the jungles of Malaya his proving ground.

About the Author

My personal journey in life has traversed many worlds, some of them violent ones. I served as a Britsih combat soldier during the early 70s where I met Princess Ann, my first Royal at the Officers mess Army Apprentices College Chepstow. My son has dined with the late Queen Elizabeth as her acting Squadron Leader. Rex my father met the Royals to during the war. Over the years I have broken bread with both the destitute and the wealthy, eaten with humble villages who lived of the land and raised toast with millionaires. I now teach at a Higher Education College Engineering skills to young promising students from poor backgrounds.