
Return of a King
The Battle for Afghanistan
Paperback | 2 January 2014 | Edition Number 1
At a Glance
Paperback
RRP $24.99
$24.50
Aims to ship in 5 to 10 business days
When will this arrive by?
Enter delivery postcode to estimate
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 2013
''As taut and richly embroidered as a great novel . . . a masterpiece'' Sunday Telegraph
''Dazzling'' Sunday Times | ''Magnificent'' Guardian | ''Sparkling'' Daily Telegraph
A towering history of the first Afghan War by bestselling historian William Dalrymple.
In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. 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.
Using a range of forgotten Afghan and Indian sources, William Dalrymple''s masterful retelling of Britain''s greatest imperial disaster is a powerful parable of colonial ambition and cultural collision, folly and hubris. Return of a King is history at its most urgent and important.
Industry Reviews
Enchantingly written ... In Dalrymple's usual happy style of historical narrative, applied to a fascinating, neat and highly suggestive series of events, this long and involved book will be a great success, and bring the famous story to a large new audience -- Philip Hensher * Spectator *
Of the books swooped into being by his scholarship (to which he himself has applied the adjective "obsessive"), this one is the most magnificent ... His account is so perceptive and so warmly humane that one is never tempted to break away ... This book would be compulsive reading even if it were not a uniquely valuable history, which it is, because Dalrymple has uncovered sources never used before -- Diana Athill * Guardian *
ISBN: 9781408831595
ISBN-10: 1408831597
Series: 100 Great Recipes
Published: 2nd January 2014
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 608
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (AUS)
Country of Publication: GB
Edition Number: 1
Dimensions (cm): 4 x 12.9 x 19.9
Weight (kg): 0.54
Shipping
Standard Shipping | Express Shipping | |
---|---|---|
Metro postcodes: | $9.99 | $14.95 |
Regional postcodes: | $9.99 | $14.95 |
Rural postcodes: | $9.99 | $14.95 |
How to return your order
At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.
Additional postage charges may be applicable.
Defective items
If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.
For more info please visit our Help Centre.
You Can Find This Book In
This product is categorised by
- Non-FictionHistoryGeneral & World History
- Non-FictionHistoryMilitary History
- Non-FictionHistoryEarliest Times to Present DayModern History from 1700 to 1900
- Non-FictionHistorySpecific Events & Topics in HistorySocial & Cultural History
- Non-FictionHistoryRegional & National HistoryAsian HistoryMiddle Eastern History
- Non-FictionWarfare & DefenceWar & Defence OperationsBattles & Campaigns