Britain in Afghanistan (1 Viewer)

Harrytheheid

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Thought this might be of interest to fellow Froggers. I haven't read it yet but it sounds good.

Cheers
H
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Synopsis
From invasion to destruction-a British military disaster. Following over a century of the gradual assumption of sovereignty of the Indian Sub-Continent, the British Empire, in the form of the Honourable East India Company, supported by troops of the new Queen Victoria's army, found itself inevitably at the natural boundaries that surround Afghanistan. There it set in motion a series of disastrous events-the first of which was to march into the country at all. After an initially successful campaign and the placement of a ruler more acceptable to the British-if totally unacceptable to the Afghans-on the throne, there came the far more formidable-and ultimately hopeless-task of controlling an almost unconquerable and inhospitable land and people. This is the story of how that led to just one British soldier-the sole survivor of a slaughtered British army and its followers-staggering into Allahabad-just three years after the folly began. This was the first time Britain fought to control Afghanistan. It would by no means be the last!
 
I am reading a book at the moment about Josiah Harlan, the first American into "Avghanistan".

It is entitled "The Man Who Would be King" and it charts the true story behind both the Rudyard Kipling short story and the movie (starring S. Connery and M. Caine) of the same name.

It is a fascinating read and charts Harlan's course from a Pennsylvania Quaker to the raising kingdoms in Afghanistan in the 1820's. His hero was Alexander the Great and he did a fairly complete job of mirroring some of Alexander's more spectacular exploits in the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

Makes me want to build an Alexander-esque army of punjabis and other Asian subtribes...

Thanks for the tip, Harry.

D
 
How did Harlan eventually turn out? This seems like a pretty good story.
 
I am reading a book at the moment about Josiah Harlan, the first American into "Avghanistan".

It is entitled "The Man Who Would be King" and it charts the true story behind both the Rudyard Kipling short story and the movie (starring S. Connery and M. Caine) of the same name.

It is a fascinating read and charts Harlan's course from a Pennsylvania Quaker to the raising kingdoms in Afghanistan in the 1820's. His hero was Alexander the Great and he did a fairly complete job of mirroring some of Alexander's more spectacular exploits in the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

Makes me want to build an Alexander-esque army of punjabis and other Asian subtribes...

Thanks for the tip, Harry.

D


Tex,
I have that book. Its a brilliant read isn't it? What amazed me was that Harlan ended up appearing in the ACW when he was a pensioner (?). What a guy.......

Cheers
H
 
I am reading a book at the moment about Josiah Harlan, the first American into "Avghanistan".

It is entitled "The Man Who Would be King" and it charts the true story behind both the Rudyard Kipling short story and the movie (starring S. Connery and M. Caine) of the same name.

It is a fascinating read and charts Harlan's course from a Pennsylvania Quaker to the raising kingdoms in Afghanistan in the 1820's. His hero was Alexander the Great and he did a fairly complete job of mirroring some of Alexander's more spectacular exploits in the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

Makes me want to build an Alexander-esque army of punjabis and other Asian subtribes...

Thanks for the tip, Harry.

D

As an enormous Kipling fan, this book sounds like a must read for me.
 
As an enormous Kipling fan, this book sounds like a must read for me.

It's called "Josiah The Great", written by a guy called Ben MacIntyre, published by Harper/Collins.
It is a really good read. Won't spoil it by revealling how Harlan turned out.

Cheers
H
 

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