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KRUGER, Rayne : The Devil's Discus

Cassell & Co, 1964

A fine unread copy in a near fine unclipped d.w., small chips to spine ends, A remarkably scarce title. The Thai government banned the book as soon as it was published and Kruger was banned from further entry to Thailand.[. The book comprises four main sections which are each further divided into chapters. The section “Before” serves as an introduction to King Ananda’s death, to Siam and to King Ananda’s background. The next section “The Life and Death of Ananda” is ten chapters in length and details the main events of King Ananda’s life, from his birth in Heidelberg in 1925 to his death by a single gunshot in mysterious circumstances at Bangkok’s Royal Palace on 9 June 1946. This section introduces the main characters surrounding Ananda throughout his life and who subsequently become subjects for investigation following his death. “The Trial” is the fourth section of eight chapters that summarises the events and arguments of the subsequent regicide trial against three Palace officials. Including two appeals the trial lasted more than six years and resulted in the execution of all three defendants in 1955. The final section “Who Killed Ananda ?” is Kruger’s own analysis of the evidence surrounding Ananda’s death leading him to the conclusion that the only satisfactory explanation is suicide. He supports this theory with the revelation of a love affair between the young King and a fellow law student in Switzerland, Marylene Ferrari, but Kruger could not prove the existence of the law student or the relationship which he claimed to exist.

First Edition

KRUGER, Rayne : The Devil's Discus

Cassell & Co, 1964

A fine unread copy in a near fine/vg++ unclipped d.w., shallow lamination chip and wear head spine and top corners, short split head rear flapfold, 1cm closed tear head front panel. , A remarkably scarce title. The Thai government banned the book as soon as it was published and Kruger was banned from further entry to Thailand.[. The book comprises four main sections which are each further divided into chapters. The section "Before" serves as an introduction to King Ananda’s death, to Siam and to King Ananda’s background. The next section "The Life and Death of Ananda" is ten chapters in length and details the main events of King Ananda’s life, from his birth in Heidelberg in 1925 to his death by a single gunshot in mysterious circumstances at Bangkok’s Royal Palace on 9 June 1946. This section introduces the main characters surrounding Ananda throughout his life and who subsequently become subjects for investigation following his death. "The Trial" is the fourth section of eight chapters that summarises the events and arguments of the subsequent regicide trial against three Palace officials. Including two appeals the trial lasted more than six years and resulted in the execution of all three defendants in 1955. The final section "Who Killed Ananda ?" is Kruger’s own analysis of the evidence surrounding Ananda’s death leading him to the conclusion that the only satisfactory explanation is suicide. He supports this theory with the revelation of a love affair between the young King and a fellow law student in Switzerland, Marylene Ferrari, but Kruger could not prove the existence of the law student or the relationship which he claimed to exist.

First Edition