{ "item_title" : "The Pillar of Light", "item_author" : [" Talbot Mundy "], "item_description" : "A lighthouse beam turns across a barren island, warning distant vessels from reefs while the soldiers beneath it struggle against heat, sleeplessness and isolation. At a British military outpost on Matthew Island, Sergeant Stanley of the Fifty-Fifth Regiment faces a form of service defined less by glory than by ceaseless vigilance. Routine becomes its own ordeal, and every duty is sharpened by the knowledge that piracy and the sea remain close at hand. Stanley's resentment, fear and pride give this maritime adventure its psychological tension. Conscious of class and hungry for recognition, he must contend with responsibilities that offer little reward, while the lighthouse keeper's relentless practical service exposes the distance between bitterness and duty. A hazardous night expedition in a whale-boat with Somali boatmen tests Stanley amid phosphorescent water, sharks and the demands of military discipline, without reducing courage to easy heroics. Working-class speech, nautical precision and the revolving sweep of the lighthouse beam bring the outpost and its labour into vivid focus. Military routine meets sea survival in a historical novel concerned with endurance under pressure: men maintain their post, protect passing vessels and confront the strain of responsibility far from comfort or acknowledgement. The danger lies not only beyond the shore, but in fatigue, wounded pride and the slow erosion of morale. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers4.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/30/933/213/9309332131_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "14.99", "online_price" : "14.99", "our_price" : "14.99", "club_price" : "14.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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