The Rules of Engagement
By K. A. Lalani
Format: Paperback
(6 customer reviews)
Publication Date: 28 Apr 2019
£9.99
Categories: Historical
ISBN: 9781912881024Description
The Rules of Engagement begins on 28th June 1914 when the two protagonists will be enjoying an idyllic, warm weekend, unaware that events in the underbelly of Europe will have an impact on the entire world and their own lives within forty days. For the next three years, they are fighting on the Western Front, living each twenty-four hours as if it could be their last.
The two protagonists are Alex and Daniel (the Viscount Swiffen) – two young men from polar opposites of the social spectrum. They portray how World War One impacted all men of fighting age, whether they volunteered in the glorious summer of August in a flush of hyperbole or bided their time and hoped they could escape the call to arms...
K. A. Lalani lives in Crawley, West Sussex. He has worked in finance and accounting throughout his career. In his spare time, writing has always been his passion. In 2017, K. A. Lalani published Unto the Skies with The Book Guild (9781911320333), a biography of Amy Johnson – pioneering English aviatrix and the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia. History is a passion of his and this is his first fiction book.
Reviews
Rachel Thomas (Guest Review) - 11 Apr, 2021
This is a beautifully written book, which takes you perfectly into pre-war Britain in the summer of 1914. Daniel, the Viscount Swiffen and Alex Conyer are as unprepared as each other for the war which threatens everyone. They have never met, and their lives couldn’t be more different, but for each of them, the unfolding war turns their lives upside down. Their paths cross during the story, which gives the reader a sense of the terror these men faced on the front line.
Back at home, their families and loved ones hope for their return and this offers the reader another insight into the upheaval war caused everyone – soldier and civilian alike.
I didn’t want the story to end and thoroughly recommend this debut novel.
Del Boy (Guest Review) - 11 Apr, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this story and found it difficult to put down once I started reading.
Graham Page (Guest Review) - 11 Apr, 2021
This is a moving novel set during the First World War, beginning on a bright summer day in June 1914 and taking the two main characters through the trauma of a war which was like no other conflict in history. The postscript at the end is especially poignant as the author pays tribute to the real heroes who went off to fight and whose sacrifice is a painful reminder of the true costs of war.
A hugely enjoyable read
Guest Reviewer (Guest Review) - 01 Aug, 2023
14 Jul 2023
By Guest
Very satisfying!! This is a well researched novel about the Great War, which I have to say I really enjoyed. Not having been familiar with
the author[s] work, I didn't know what to expect, but I am glad to have stayed with it and certain passages towards the end are especially poignant. Anyone coming across this in the same way - will be pleasantly surprised.
Guest Reviewer (Guest Review) - 11 Apr, 2023
Very Enjoyable
Having read another novel by the same author, I was intrigued to discover this was their first book, set around WWI. On balance I think "The Calloway Sisters" has a more intricate plot, however this story of two protagonists from different ends of the social spectrum, is well worth a read. I found the conclusion especially poignant and believe others who haven't read it yet will be pleasantly surprised.
Guest Reviewer (Guest Review) - 30 Jan, 2024
30 Jan 2024
By Guest
An Engrossing read!
An engrossing read!! I read this one on recommendation, having read the author's latest and although this a richly evoked and well researched first novel, it is evident that subsequent books have shown this author has got better. I liked the combination of two protagonists, having their stories evolve in parallel and of the two, I thought Alex Conyer came across better. Overall it deserves
it's four star rating and other readers should give this author's fictional debut a try!
