Note: No spoilers in this Pukul Habis back story
Although 22 years separate these two books, the two publications share common ground in one aspect: Defending the Lion City (published in 2000) and Pukul Habis (out this month) both discuss the Mersing Line.
To some readers, the Mersing Line may be a concept that is new, unfamiliar or sensitive.
The term, however, is not new. It appeared at least 31 years ago in an article by Dr Tim Huxley titled Singapore and Malaysia: A Precarious Balance? (Pacific Review, Volume 4, Number 4, dated 1991)
That article postulated a wartime scenario where the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) invaded Malaysia and advanced through Johor, the state bordering Singapore, to establish a FEBA called the Mersing Line across the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia.
Nearly a decade later, Dr Huxley delved into the Mersing Line scenario in greater detail in his seminal work, Defending the Lion City.
Pukul Habis developed the idea in a fictional story of war in Malaysia and Singapore that features present-day Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) units and capabilities, with some fictional ones added to make the story interesting.
How did I write the story? With not a little difficulty - this was my first attempt at war fiction.
I drew inspiration from authors whose books described big battles in such an engaging way that people likened their narrative history to novels.
The Fall of Berlin 1945 by military historian Antony Beevor is one book that reads like a novel.
Cornelius Ryan's 1966 best seller, The Last Battle, probably served as the prototype for future books on the battle for Berlin as the late journalist structured the book like a novel.
Historian Roger Crowley was praised for a similar approach for his books on ancient warfare. I was blown away by his 2008 book, Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World, for its narrative history that was such a riveting page turner.
Journalist Abraham Rabinovich's 2005 best seller, The Yom Kippur War, is yet another book whose novel-like narrative brought the brutality of Middle Eastern combat into the hands of many enthralled readers.
These are just a fraction of books that made an impression on me as I sought to develop my own writing style in past years.
Having read such books, I had a eureka moment one day: If historical narratives about real battles could be written to read "like a novel", then would the reverse also work? Could a fictional battle be written in a way that was so realistic, so compelling to sound like a real battle?
I decided it was worth a try. It was a difficult journey, but many people guided me behind the scenes.
Along the way, I corresponded with authors like Abraham several years ago to learn about how he writes and how his ideas are developed.
American author, Larry Bond, was another author who provided useful guidance as Pukul Habis evolved. Mr Bond was credited by the late military thriller author, Tom Clancy, for his part in bringing the best seller, Red Storm Rising, from a raw idea of a NATO versus Warsaw Pact war into book form. I read that book when I was an NSF and have re-read it several times.
As I thought about the non fiction historical narratives that read like novels, I realised that their story arcs did not seem to have any central character. Instead, it was the armed forces or city that was the protagonist, with the people mentioned in the narrative serving like a supporting cast who brought the story to life.
That was the approach I used in Pukul Habis.
The 400-pages that contain more than 70,000 words is the result of all that effort.
I have tried my best and hope you all enjoy the fictional war story.
If you are in Malaysia, get the book from Books Kinokuniya's store at Suria KLCC. Kino will also mail it to any location in Malaysia. Please click here for details.
Books Kinokuniya Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here.
For readers elsewhere, please check the Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.
Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH
Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i
Canada: https://amzn.to/3VkjqQP Look Inside
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Sweden: https://bit.ly/3GWq7UI
United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside
USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, please click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page.
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