Bugles and a Tiger cover art

Bugles and a Tiger

My Life in the Gurkhas

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

The first of John Master's evocative memoirs about life in the Gurkhas in India on the cusp of WWII.

John Masters was a soldier before he became a best-selling novelist. He went to Sandhurst in 1933 at the age of 18 and was commissioned into the Fourth Gurkha Rifles in time to take part in some of the last campaigns on the turbulent North-West Frontier of India.

John Masters joined a Gurhka regiment on receiving his commission, and his depiction of garrison life and campaigning on the North-West Frontier has never been surpassed. Bugles and a Tiger is a matchless evocation of the British Army in India on the eve of the Second World War. Still very much the army depicted by Kipling, it stands on the threshold of a war that will transform the world. This book is the first of three volumes of autobiography that touched a chord in the post-war world.

©2022 John Masters (P)2022 Weidenfeld & Nicolson Armed Forces Asia Military Military & War Special & Elite Forces World War II War
All stars
Most relevant
For somebody of our time, it can be difficult to listen to the words of a person for many years ago as their views can be very different from ours.
I first read this book 20 years ago after talking to people who served and worked in India before Independence.
John Masters appears to have been very frank and honest when he talks about his failings and his hope s which was unusual for his time. This is a a fascinating part of history

A frank autobiography of an Indian Army officer between the wars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A true soldier's tale. It captures the essence of Regimental life and the incredible bond that develops among soldiers.

An outstanding tale of life in the Indian Army

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you want an English view on the British in India - here you go 🤣
Prepare to be shocked by the honesty !

An honest take on the British Empire

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.