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Product Information
In the spring of 1839, the British invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Led by lancers in scarlet cloaks and plumed shakos, nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk. On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the nineteenth century: an entire army of the then most powerful nation in the world ambushed in retreat and utterly routed by poorly equipped tribesmen. Return of a King is the definitive analysis of the First Afghan War, told through the lives of unforgettable characters on all sides and using for the first time contemporary Afghan accounts of the conflict. Prize-winning and bestselling historian William Dalrymple's masterful retelling of Britain's greatest imperial disaster is a powerful and important parable of colonial ambition and cultural collision, folly and hubris, for our times.Product Identifiers
PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
ISBN-139781408818305
eBay Product ID (ePID)138574269
Product Key Features
Number of Pages608 Pages
Publication NameReturn of a King: the Battle for Afghanistan
LanguageEnglish
SubjectGovernment, History
Publication Year2013
TypeTextbook
AuthorWilliam Dalrymple
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height234 mm
Item Weight1101 g
Item Width153 mm
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited Kingdom
Title_AuthorWilliam Dalrymple
Ratings and reviews
Most relevant reviews
- 17 Oct, 2018
A superb read - quick paced and well written from beginning to end. Very talented writer.
A fine and detailed account of the First Anglo-Afghan War 1839-42. Unbiassed view of the background and progress of the war. A very easy read which is surprising as it contains quite detailed information on battles, etc, but without getting too technical. Quick paced and exciting from the word go. I couldn't put it down.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 29 Jul, 2016
Spellbinding!
A masterful account of Britain's first venture into the region which ultimately became Afghanistan, with so many blunders of diplomacy, strategy and tactics that it makes one wonder how on earth we were capable of creating and ruling such a large empire. Compelling reading, especially when viewed in the light of our latest venture. Very highly recommended.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 30 Jun, 2016
book review
Excellent research, and eye witness accounts.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
