Masters, John

(British/US, 1914–83)

Masters was born in India, where his family had lived for five generations; he was educated at Wellington and Sandhurst. Having served in the Indian Army until India gained independence, he became a full-time writer in 1950. His best-known novels trace the history of the Savage family in India from the seventeenth century onward. Begin with Bhowani Junction (1954), which tells of Colonel Savage's love for an Anglo-Indian woman during the widespread disturbances preceding India's independence. In The Deceivers (1952), set in the early nineteenth century, William Savage struggles against the Thugs, a sect of murderous Hindu fanatics. His other works include the Loss of Eden trilogy, starting with Now, God be Thanked (1979) which follows the lives of several interconnected families throughout the First World War.

R. K. Narayan, Amit Chaudhuri, J. G. Farrell  DH