Trama

Three adopted English brothers join the French Foreign Legion in North Africa after one of them steals their adoptive family's famous heirloom sapphire.

Beau, John, and Digby Geste are three inseparable, adventurous brothers who have been adopted into the wealthy household of Lady Brandon. When money in the upper-crust household grows tight, Lady Brandon is forced to sell her most-treasured jewel, the mighty "Blue Water" sapphire. The household gets it out for one last look, the lights go out, and it vanishes--stolen by one of the brothers, no doubt. That night, Beau, Digby, and John each "confess" and slip out, John leaving behind his sweetheart Isobel. They all join the Foreign Legion and Beau and Digby are split from John and put under the command of the ruthless, sadistic Sergeant Markoff. Things get hairy as the rest of the Legionnaires plot a mutiny against Markoff the midst of an attack by Arab hordes.—Sam Hayes <gshayes@mail.gwi.net>

Orphan brothers Beau, John, and Digby Geste have lived in Brandon Abbas with their dear aunt Patricia Brandon, the also-adopted Isobel Rivers, and their cousin Augustus Brandon, since they were children. Lady Brandon is near bankruptcy paying the debts of the absent Sir Hector Brandon; the family's last remaining asset, apart from Brandon Abbas itself, is the huge "Blue Water" sapphire. When Sir Hector sends word that he will come home to sell the precious stone, Beau, John, Digby, Isobel, and Augustus ask to see the "Blue Water". Lady Brandon brings the stone, but the lights go out and the sapphire is stolen. Lady Brandon promises to call the police the next morning. One by one the Geste brothers flee, each leaving a note confessing the robbery. The brothers join the Foreign Legion and are sent to North Africa; Beau and John under the command of the cruel, sadistic Sergeant Markoff in Fort Zinderneuf in the Sahara Desert. After an unsuccessful mutiny against Markoff's brutal treatment, the fort is attacked by Tuaregs and the men join forces to fight for their lives.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Three boys grow up together in a wealthy family. As a child, one of the boys overhears his mother discussing the sale of the "Blue Sapphire," a jewel that belongs to her family. It is replaced with a fake and the household continues on. Many years later the family is in financial trouble and discuss selling the "Blue Sapphire." Knowing it is a fake and wanting to save their mother from shame, it is stolen during a blackout moments before it would have been revealed. The boys are given until morning to own up, but when morning comes the eldest has left a note confessing and has gone to join the Foreign Legion. His brothers, knowing his sacrifice, also leave notes confessing and join the Legion. The three brothers are stationed together until the middle one is sent away to separate the three. The general in charge of the outpost is considered a madman with no respect for the dead. His plan is to prop dead soldiers up on the walls so the Arabs will think they have lots of men. When one of the brothers is killed the other fights to have his body respected and buried instead of used and shot up. With the middle brother's return and subsequent death just moments before a final attack, the youngest is the only one who makes it safely home.—Charlie Hopkins

Michael "Beau" Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion. He is reunited with his two brothers in North Africa, where they face greater danger from their own sadistic commander than from the rebellious Arabs.—Marg Baskin <marg@asd.raytheon.ca>