A definitive analysis of the First Afghan War, using contemporary Afghan accounts for the first time.
In the spring of 1839, the British invaded Afghanistan; nearly 20, 000 troops poured through the mountain passes, facing little resistance and re-establishing the throne of Shah ul-Mulk.
Yet after two years of occupation, the country exploded into violent rebellion, forcing the British army into humiliating retreat.
Dalrymple retells the story of Britain's greatest imperial disaster, an important parable of colonial ambition and cultural collision.
Bloomsbury Publishing Return of a king, paperback/william dalrymple
