The authors deep research provides a whole new take on almost every aspect of the story. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 by william dalrymple. Praise for william dalrymples return of a king more than timely. William dalrymples return of a king is a riveting account of one imperial disaster on the roof of the world. Using an impressive array of sources, many not previously read in the west, he brings this brief period of history to life in an accessible and enjoyable style. Against this backdrop, the eminent british historian william dalrymple turns to that war in the return of a king, a wellresearched and lucidly written account of the period.
For news about william dalrymples new book and all things related. According to dalrymple, the afghans regarded their deliverance from the british in 1842 as their trafalgar. Buy return of a king book online at low prices in india. William dalrymple on return of a king the hugh hewitt show. Return of a king has got so many different stories in it, that youre not going to want to miss even a single one of them. Dalrymple makes an important contribution by including recently discovered afghan accounts of. As salman rushdie has pointed out, dalrymple is that rarity a scholar of history who can really write. William dalrymple is the bestselling author of in xanadu, city of djinns, from the holy mountain, the age of kali, white mughals, the last mughal and, most recently, nine lives. William dalrymples the return of a king is about afghanistan, which means its about death in its most horrible forms. Shah shuja and the first angloafghan war 183942 dalrymple, william 20120410 this div will be replaced by the jw player. Dalrymple has told the story of the first afghan war, its causes and consequences, with deep knowledge of the sources from both or. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 is a magisterial new look at the first afghan war, in which british and east india company troops invaded afghanistan to install a puppet ruler, shah shuja, on the throne in kabul, only to be ferociously expelled by an indigenous uprising less than three years later. From william dalrympleawardwinning historian, journalist and travel writera masterly retelling of what was perhaps the wests greatest imperial disaster in the east, and an important parable of neocolonial ambition, folly and hubris that has striking relevance to our own time. According to dalrymple, the afghans regarded their deliverance from the british in 1842 as.
Suzanna finleyasia society dalrymple underscored some of those parallels in a trenchant oped published yesterday in the new york times. Excerpt from william dalrymples return of a king asia. Return of a king by william dalrymple overdrive rakuten. There is no need to tell the story here, this is the second dalrymple book i have read in a short space of time. In his most ambitious and riveting book to date, william dalrymple tells the story of the east india company as it has never been told before, unfolding a timely cautionary tale. The battle for afghanistan by dalrymple, william isbn. William dalrymple, author of return of a king in 1839, great britain and russia were playing the world map like a chessboard and for no reason other than geography, afghanistan. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read return of a king. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 kindle edition by dalrymple, william. The return of a king is the definitive analysis of the first afghan war. The return of a king william dalrymple the story of the first angloafghan war, with striking parallels with whats going on in our neighbourhood and the world today. An early contender must surely be william dalrymples the return of a king, out in february from bloomsbury. Return of a king is a triumph of balanced historical analysis.
From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the sparknotes the return of the king study guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. In the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time. William dalrymple is the bestselling author of in xanadu, city of djinns, from the holy mountain, age of kali, white mughals, the last mughal, nine lives, return of a king and kohinoor. Return of a king is the definitive analysis of the first afghan war, told through the lives of unforgettable characters on all sides and using for the first time contemporary afghan accounts of the conflict. Return of a king the battle for afghanistan 1839 42.
William dalrymple is the bestselling author of in xanadu, city of djinns, from the holy. The return of a king is both the definitive analysis of. Dalrymple is a skilled storyteller and fills important gaps, mining new sources. In fact lets just say that in my opinion, narrative history that is as good as it gets. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 dalrymple, william on. For all the boys own tone, however, return of the king is a serious work of history. William dalrymple return of a king the battle f book. In return of a king, dalrymple has done again what he did magnificently for two other telling episodes of british imperial history in white mughals 2002 and the last mughal 2006. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading return of a king. But dalrymple takes us beyond the bare outline of this infamous battle and with penetrating balanced insight illuminates the uncanny similarities between the west s first disastrous entanglement with afghanistan and the situation today. Shortlisted for the samuel johnson prize 20, return of a king is the definitive analysis of the first afghan war, told through the lives of unforgettable characters on all sides and using for the first time contemporary afghan accounts of the conflict.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Prizewinning and bestselling historian william dalrymples masterful retelling of britains greatest imperial disaster is a powerful and important parable of colonial ambition and cultural collision, folly and hubris, for our times. In return of a king, william dalrymple narrates the united kingdoms illfated. Of dalrymples recent works, return of a king is perhaps the most directly relevant to the present day. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 ebook written by william dalrymple. Return of a king the battle for afghanistan is awardwinning historian william dalrymples account of the wests disastrous encounter with afghanistan in the mid19th century, a. Of course this was not simply a tale of hubris and nemesis. If youre just tuning in, william dalrymple is the author of, among other things, from the holy mountain, white mughals, and the bestselling city of djinns. The battle for afghanistan, written by the scottish historian william dalrymple and published in 2012, is an account of the first angloafghan war from 1839 to 1842.