In "The Afghan War of 1879-80," Howard Hensman presents a meticulous chronicle of a tumultuous period defined by geopolitical conflict and imperial ambition. Written in an accessible yet scholarly tone, Hensman employs a blend of narrative and analytical prose to explore the complexities of British military engagements in Afghanistan during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The text is enriched with firsthand accounts and critical insights that reflect not only the military strategies employed ...

"The Afghan War of 1879-80" by Howard Hensman provides a detailed account of the Second Anglo-Afghan War, a pivotal conflict that shaped British imperial policy in the region. Hensman, drawing on his experiences and extensive research, explores the political and military strategies employed by the British forces as they sought to assert control over Afghanistan. The narrative delves into the complexities of the war, including the motivations behind British intervention and the challenges f...

The Treaty of Gundamak had for its chief object the direct representation of the British Government at the Court of the Amir Yakub Khan, and, in pursuance of the terms of the Treaty, Sir Louis Cavagnari, K.C.B., C.S.I., was received at Cabul, as Resident, on July 24th, 1879. Mr. William Jenkyns, of the Indian Civil Service, accompanied him as secretary to the Mission. An escort of twenty-five sowars and fifty sepoys of the Guides’ Corps was the only means of protection at the Embassy’s com...

A fascinating look at the two Anglo-Afghan Wars, 1839-42 and 1878-80, written by British war correspondent Archibald Forbes. As an ex-Royal Dragoons private Forbes had a wonderful level of knowledge about military mindsets and traditions.

First published in 1958, A Person From England tells of how the legendary cities of Turkestan - Merv, Khiva, Bokhara and Samarkand - have long exerted a romantic fascination upon Western travellers. During the last century, men of many nationalities have played what they and their contemporaries have called "The Great Game" - travelling throughout Central Asia. The author revives memories of the agents and travellers - official and unofficial, military and civilian - who have visi...

[Includes over 140 maps, portraits and illustrations]Field Marshal "Bob" Roberts was one the most successful and well-loved generals of the British Army, decorated and distinguished in many actions and holder of the highest award for valour in action the Victoria Cross. He fought and commanded in Abyssinia, the UK and South Africa to great acclaim; however the majority of his life was spent on service in India and Afghanistan.His history and that of the British Raj entwined f...

"The object of this book is to lay before the public a short history of Afghanistan, which, can be read in a few hours, and will give, the author trusts, an accurate account of the history of a country at the present time attracting considerable attention from the importance of its position in relation to our Indian Empire. The author having been present in Afghanistan during part of the Afghan war, is able in these pages to supply some details from his personal experience as well as infor...

In the mid-nineteenth century, the British and Russian Empires played the 'Great Game,' a rivalry for supremacy in Central Asia. To secure a 'buffer zone' in Afghanistan, between India and Russian territory, Britain launched the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1838. Initial success, including the imposition of a puppet regime supported by too few troops (a situation that has great resonance today), was followed by complete disaster in 1842, with 4,500 soldiers and 12,000 civilia...

Dervish is the vivid and colourful story of one of the more remarkable episodes in the high Empire period of British history. The Mahdis rising in the Sudan in the 1880s starting as a localized Holy War against the decadent Turkish/Egyptian overlords, engulfed a million square miles of arid territory and forced the British Liberal Government to get involved after the early disasters of the Hicks expedition and Gordons death at Khartoum.The narrative, which makes excellent use of the first-...

Recruited from the Pathan tribes that live in the no-mans land between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Khyber Rifles fought for the British Raj against their own kith and kin.Jules Stewart tells the story of Colonel Sir Robert Warburton, the man who raised the Khyber Rifles in 1878, and describes the Khyber Rifles in action.

The years between the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 are sometimes described as 'The Long Peace', the there were in fact British Soldiers fighting somewhere in the world throughout the whole of that period, usually in an effort to restore order in some far-flung parts of the Empire 'upon which the sun never set.' Although these campaigns have been well documented by numerous historians, Robbert Giddings, well known as author, journalist and write...

The blow to British pride and confidence caused by the crushing defeat of their army in Afghanistan during the winter of 1841/2 compares in its impact to the disaster in New York on 11 September 2001. The British had replaced a popular and effective monarch with a weak one in the mistaken belief that he would keep the Russians at bay. Two years later, nearly all the British and Indian soldiers in the region were killed in a popular uprising.Margaret Kekewichs perceptive new study of the co...