Leslie Thomas is one of the most original English writers, whose work has not yet been known to the Russian reader. He is the winner of numerous international literary awards, the author of nineteen novels, many of which have been filmed.

There is a war going on about which we know almost nothing: Great Britain is at war with Malaysia. A handful of untrained recruits find themselves face to face with gangs of Malay communist partisans.

This is not an action movie or a thriller, it is a kind of chronicle of a soldier's life, with all its incidents, absurdities, fears and desires. Thomas perfectly combines brilliant humor, subtle eroticism and the horror of death looming over the boys.

A film was made based on the book (with Lynn Redgrave and Nigel Davenport), the book went through more than 40 editions.