The White Rajah — Nicholas Monsarrat

The breathtaking island of Makassang, in the Java Sea, is the setting for this tremendous historical novel. It is a place both splendid and savage, where piracy, plundering and barbarism are rife. The ageing Rajah, threatened by native rebellion, enlists the help of Richard Marriott - baronet's son-turned-buccaneer - promising him a fortune to save his throne. But when Richard falls in love with the Rajah's beautiful daughter, the island, and its people, he find himself drawn into a personal quest to restore peace and prosperity.