King--of the Khyber Rifles: A Romance of Adventure

From cover: "There are rumors of an uprising. Our young hero Athelston King of the India Secret Service, is dispatched to the Khyber Pass to prevent what threatens to become a Holy War. Armed only with quick wit, courage and the knowledge of men, King must travel to the Khinjan Caves, a place from which no Englishman has ever emerged alive. For this mission, King is assigned a partner, Yasmini the Wonderful, a woman who all of India believes to hold the mysteries of the mountains in the hollow of her hand. Before they are through, many will die and King himself, will stand on the brink of death."

Thirty years ago, this was one of the "Classics Illustrated" comics, and it made a big impression on me as a kid. Now, having visited India and studied its history, returning to the story in book form resonated on several levels. Mundy is a piercing observer of human nature as manifested in the diverse peoples of India and their British imperialist masters. He is also a master of graphic description. This swashbuckling tale of fantasy and adventure lets him be Edgar Rice Burroughs and Rudyard Kipling at the same time. It's exhilirating, thought-provoking, and a great memoir of the not-so-distant days when fantasy worlds could still be postulated for this planet. Read it, and then read "The Nine Unknown", by the same author