The First Afghan War 1839–42: Invasion, catastrophe and retreat

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This is a fascinating account of the Afghan war of 1839, the first of a long series of ill-fated campaigns in that country that continues to the present day. It has all the elements of an adventure story, parading a gallery of larger-than-life characters- double-agents, maharajas, colonial grandees- many of whom show impressive fortitude and resilience in harrowingly adverse circumstances when events turn against them. There are vivid descriptions of the sieges, victories, and set-backs of the advance on Kabul set against the epic grandeur of the Hindu Kush. Once in Kabul the ill-conceived basis of the plan for regime change leads inevitably to disaster (not for the last time) and after two years a chaotic evacuation is the eventual outcome. The horror of the disastrous withdrawal turns into a catastrophe on a par with Napoleon's retreat from Moscow thirty years before, if on a smaller scale. One llone starving medical officer is the only soldier to make it back to safety in Jalalabad, though some who had been taken prisoner were released at a later date.Despite its brevity, the book treats its subject in great detail without there being any sense of over-compression as the writing is of very high quality. The illustrations are very competently done and evocative, and a plentiful iconography is provided consisting of contemporary depictions of the events and their protagonists and various cultural props pertaining to them, as well as many maps and diagrams.I thoroughly recommend this fascinating read, which is not only a good if harrowing story, but also enriches one's perspective on current events in that part of the world.

Libro della Osprey, quindi molto ben fatto sia dal punto di vista grafico che per la ricchezza e precisione dei contenuti.E' molto ben illustrato e il contenuto, pur se limitato nelle pagine, è molto esaustivo e completo.Un ottimo libro che consiglio agli amanti del genere militaria.

In 1839, the British Indian Army invaded neighboring Afghanistan in search of Great Game objectives such as regime change and keeping the Russians and Iranians out of Afghanistan. The British invasion force overcame great obstacles to reach Kabul and install its favored ruler. It only then discovered how hard it might to maintain itself deep inside a hostile country..."The First Afghan War 1839-42" is an Osprey Campaign Series book, well-written by Richard Macrory, with illustrations by Peter Dennis. Macrory's forthright narrative captures the strategic context behind the British invasion, matches the opposing commanders and their plans and military forces, and describes in blunt language what happened. Those who have witnessed the events in Afghanistan since 2001 cannot help but feel a tingle of deja-vu. In spite of undoubted heroism by many of the British troops and some of the British leaders, it was found that operating for extended periods inside Afghanistan against an aroused population was risky business. The text is nicely supported by a good selection of period and modern illustrations, maps, diagrams and photographs. Highly recommended as a concise and highly readable introduction to a still relevant campaign.

The ever-expanding array of military histories published by Osprey is well known to those interested in that field, and this volume is another of their dependably good offerings. The Osprey "Campaign" series (of which this is #298) is especially variable in scope: some books are indeed histories of a single military campaign, while others really are histories of "small" wars. This book is one of the latter, and an excellent example of how much can be accomplished in a tight 96 page format.Author Richard Macrory covers the political backgrounds in Britain and Afghanistan, the nature and role of the East India Company, the initial British incursion into Afghanistan in 1838-39, the uprising and catastrophic retreat of 1841-42, and finally the "Retribution" campaign of 1842. Well illustrated, and including useful maps.Overall an excellent and well-written concise history of this colonial war which offers many lessons still valid today. Of note is that author Macrory's great-great-great uncle was Eldred Pottinger, one of the British political officers active in the region at the time and a player in the events described.