'Return of the Tiger' is an account of Operations Jaywick and Rimau - both of which are World War II Anglo-Australian covert raids, led by the British Ivan Lyon, against Japanese shipping in Singapore harbour.

The fact that there is so little information on Operations Jaywick and Rimau makes this book invaluable (in my research I have come across just two books dealing with these operations - this one and 'The Heroes' by the Australian Ronald McKie). This to my knowledge was the first account of these operations, and unlike the later McKie, focuses much more heavily on Ivan Lyon. This is partially due to Connell's use of material from the Lyon family to write the book. Other sources included the surviving members of Jaywick, and Major Chapman, the support officer for Rimau (all members of the Rimau operation were killed). Thus the book suffers somewhat from lack of source material. This is particularly true of the account of Operation Rimau. Mistakes in the narrative of events (again, especially during Rimau) become clear when compared, as one inevitably must, to McKie. McKie's research in some areas is much more thorough (in particular his use of interviews with Ted Carse, the Krait's skipper during Jaywick, and the much more valuable material from the Japanese interpreter at the trial of the captured Rimau men), and so in comparison is a stronger book.

However, it is a good read, and Connell does provide very useful descriptions of the character of those personalities involved - it is here that it becomes clear that he has talked to different Jaywick members from McKie. The photographs are also extraordinarily useful.

So to sum up, Connell is a good read (the stories of Jaywick and Rimau - so exciting and yet so tragic - are enough to ensure this), useful to the scholar simply because there is so little information on these raids, but should be used in conjunction with other sources as the reliability in some parts is questionable. Ivan Lyon and his two raids are certainly an area that requires more research.

It is a shame that the events are not more well-known, as the story is fascinating - extraordiarily exciting. The achievement of Jaywick was amazing, the tragedy of Rimau heart-wrenching but epic. The unbelievable courage and daring of these men should be remembered. And that's the biggest reason to read this book.