Fenwick Travers and the Forbidden Kingdom: An Entertainment

In this spritely sequel to Fenwick Travers and the Years of Empire (1993), Army officer Saunders offers the further turn-of-the-century misadventures of world-class rascal and Army officer Fenwick Travers. After helping put down the Boxer Rebellion in China, narrator Travers, who's never done an honest day's work and lives by virtue of his wits and good luck, is promoted to captain in what promises to be a meteoric rise through the military ranks. Because of his supposed expertise in dealing with insurgency, he's sent to the Philippines to help quell a rebellion aimed at ridding the islands of their American landlords. Immediately after he arrives in Manila, U.S. headquarters is attacked by guerrillas; forced against his will to lead a squad in pursuit, Travers recovers an ancient map, only to have it stolen-and then to discover that the map points to Spanish treasure. And so Travers volunteers to hunt down the rebel leader, but his real mission is to line his pockets with gold. Through generally workmanlike prose, Saunders captures the era, with its violence, imperialism and racism, and weaves a rollicking yarn that should attract new readers to ``Fenny'' and his bawdy escapades. (Oct.)