On Amazon:
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews Oct. 2016 – Four Stars
“…I enjoyed this war story set in and past WWII in the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. The main character is Peter Van der Voort. He is supported by a cast of hundreds, both protagonist and antagonist. The main story is fiction, but it is wrapped within accurate historical data of the war effort. The story opens with the precursors to the defeat of the Dutch land and naval forces by the superior and ruthless Japanese wave that rolled over the entire region. Peter is introduced when he and his flight crew are hand picked to sneak a precious cargo out of Java ahead of the invading Japanese army. But through a series of mishaps, bad planning and unexpected causalities his mission goes awry, and he ditches the valuable cargo. From that point on there is one harrowing adventure after another. Peter is separated from his lover, Lizzie, as they experience danger, discrimination and betrayal. But both endure and manage to continue well past the end of the war. Character development is good especially considering the large cast of characters. The plot is complex and the author’s attention to details and research are exemplary. There are a few minor editing errors, mostly missing words, and a few instances where past and present tense are mingled in the same sentences. Overall, the editing is good but not flawless. I highly recommend this story for action/adventure and WWII fans…”
F. van de Peppel on February 3, 2016 – Four Stars
Format: Paperback – Verified Purchase Amazon
“…An excellent and very well researched fiction story that could have happened…”
On Goodreads:
Aug 10, 2015 Ron rated it it was amazing · review of another edition (five stars)
“I don’t read books often because so many that I start to read go on and on filling up pages but not contributing much to the story. But this one did keep me wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next. I also enjoyed the inclusion of factual information about people and places. I am looking forward to Book 2.”
Christoph Fischer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition (five stars)
“The Java Gold: Book 1: The Odyssey” by Robert Kingsley was a real treat. As keen reader of history books with a lesser known setting or perspective, this ticked a lot of boxes, and it really did it well. With well researched details and excellently drawn settings the story takes us to the Dutch Colony in South East Asia during World War II. Military equipment, ordered by the Dutch from American companies, has been confiscated by the US Army and a plane load of gold is now stuck on Java where a “The Java Gold: Book 1: The Odyssey” by Robert Kingsley was a real treat. As keen reader of history books with a lesser known setting or perspective, this ticked a lot of boxes, and it really did it well. With well researched details and excellently drawn settings the story takes us to the Dutch Colony in South East Asia during World War II. Military equipment, ordered by the Dutch from American companies, has been confiscated by the US Army and a plane load of gold is now stuck on Java where a Japanese invasion is imminent. The book depicts the mission to save the gold and its subsequent loss. Interesting characters, a fascinating historical background, excellent suspense and a really good plot made this a very memorable and rewarding reading experience. I reviewed this book for the Historical Novel Society, Indie Section.”
On Goodreads you will also find 8 Five star and 1 Four Star review.
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