Retreat from Kabul, George Bruce
Retreat from Kabul, George Bruce
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Retreat from Kabul
The First Anglo-Afghan War, 1839-1842

Author: George Bruce

Narrator: Nigel Patterson

Unabridged: 9 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/07/2022


Synopsis

Afghanistan, 1839.

The British East India Company dominated the Indian subcontinent, yet they were not secure in their position.

Holding unjustified fears that Russia threatened India's north-western border, the Company decided to make a pre-emptive strike and ensure that this menace would be stopped by a strong pro-British Afghanistan.

Thousands of British and Indian troops invaded this mountainous land to intervene in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mahommed Khan and former emir Shah Shuja-ool-Mulk. After capturing Kabul they placed the cruel, but pro-British Shah Shuja upon the throne once again, and supported him with an overwhelming military presence.

However, the proud and ruthless warriors of Afghanistan were unwilling to submit themselves to British control and within three years they had risen up against their oppressors in one of the bloodiest revolts in history.

George Bruce delves into a vast array of published and unpublished nineteenth century sources to uncover this campaign in which very few British survivors made it back through the snow-laden passes to India.

About George Bruce

George Bruce is the author of several war history books, including Retreat from Kabul, Six Battles for India, and The Burma Wars.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jean-Luc on April 15, 2021

Originally published in 1967, Retreat from Kabul is a terrific account of the bloody conflict between the British and East Indian Company forces and their formidable foe the Afghan emir Barakzai. With George Bruce, it's popular history at its best. We get a very detailed overview of the First Anglo-......more

Goodreads review by Jon on May 19, 2021

Harrowing if somewhat stilted. An excellent account of the series of ill conceived military and political decisions which led to what was possibly the greatest disaster in the annals of British colonial history. I found the narrative very readable, not dry and weighed down with excess logistical data......more

Goodreads review by Ruslan on May 18, 2021

I delayed reading the whole book and made a mistake. The author has tried successfully to show and explain the British attempts to take control of Afghanistan, and this also teaches lessons about the current situation in this region. The language is easy to learn, and the reader - even unfamiliar wi......more

Goodreads review by Max on July 30, 2024

A solid overall narrative of the war and the reasons for it. Like with some other wars fought in this mountainous country it shouldn’t have happened but due to the ambitions of men like William MacNaghten.......more

Goodreads review by Bill on May 31, 2021

Yet another British debacle......more