Welcome to Our Bookstore
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
Dangerous Waters is a collection of ten short stories about Gordon's experiences during World War Two. This book will be available on March 1, 2008.
The Drums Trilogy: Men Whose Work Took Them to the Mountaintops of East Africa
The "Drums" trilogy shows East Africa in chaos as Kenya evolves from colonial status to independence and nationhood. Covering the period 1949 to 1958, the books depict how youth evolves from idealism (White Man's Drum), through disenchantment (Drums of Rebellion), to acceptance of reality, that is, the equality and universality of mankind (In Fate's Footsteps).
White Man's Drum: Tales of the East African Bundu
At the beginning of 1951, the lure of the word safari was irresistible. They had come to East Africa because they missed the excitement that had been their constant companion in World War II. Searching for the best route for a modern VHF radio-repeater backbone telecommunications system stretching from Kampala to Dar es Salaam, the men encountered inhospitable country, wild animals, and extreme weather conditions.
Drums of Rebellion: Kenya in Chaos
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. In October 1952 they were faced with a savage civil war. 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.
Works in Progress
Background information about the African stories
In Fate's Footsteps
Kenya in 1950s. Expected publication in 2008
Tales from the NFD
Stories from Kenya's Northern Frontier District.
