Return of a King

The Battle for Afghanistan

By: William Dalrymple

Narrated by: Sagar Arya

Bloomsbury presents Return of a King by William Dalrymple, read by Sagar Arya.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 2013
'As taut and richly embroidered as a great novel . . . a masterpiece' Sunday Telegraph
'Dazzling' Sunday Times | 'Magnificent' Guardian | 'Sparkling' Daily Telegraph
A towering history of the first Afghan War by bestselling historian William Dalrymple.

In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk.

On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the nineteenth century: an entire army of the then most powerful nation in the world ambushed in retreat and utterly routed by poorly equipped tribesmen.

Using a range of forgotten Afghan and Indian sources, William Dalrymple's masterful retelling of Britain's greatest imperial disaster is a powerful parable of colonial ambition and cultural collision, folly and hubris. Return of a King is history at its most urgent and important.

©2013 William Dalrymple (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

The depth, color and perspective Dalrymple brings to a thoroughly fascinating story.

I found the heavy accent of the reader distracting. It took a while to get used to.

OUTSTANDING

I highly recommend listening.
This book is so well written and narrated.
The story kept me spellbound.
Considering the world politics, it is very important to read this history of Afghanistan.
My thanks to all involved for making this book available, JK.

Great book about the origins of the Great Game

The story is a page turner and the reading spirited and a good match to the story.

Absolutely Outstanding

This is an extremely well researched documentary production of the British foray into Afghanistan. William Dalrymple is absolutely outstanding, not just in providing an accurate and objective account of history, but in doing so with impeccable clarity and in a manner that grips the reader from start to finish. There is never a dull moment. And we get a very valuable insight into how history has shaped modern Afghanistan. Kudos to William Dalrymple for this incredible piece of work.

Tragic story excellently told

It took me just a bit to get into it, but once I did I couldn't wait to listen again. I knew the basics but the details of the first Anglo Afghan war are fascinating, complex, tragic, and incredibly interesting.

As a side note, stay for the research acknowledgements at the end. It not only shines a light on the extent of Dalrymple's thoroughness but also illustrates how dangerous the area remains.

Well documented but not dreary.

I listened to this book during the last days of the latest western occupation of Afghanistan which made the experience particularly poignant.
Listening the book the numerous mistakes made by the British in the nineteenth century seemed so similar to those made in the twenty first that it was depressing.
Still it is a book well worth listening too, because it manages to be informative without being boring thanks also to a sapient use of the fonts which, at times, are frankly amusing.

Wonderful story from every aspect

I liked everything about this book except for some performance issues like sudden interruptions which caused the listener to lose the track of story. Otherwise everything has been fascinating.

unmatched

The best book I've read out of many about the First Anglo Afghan War. Very applicable to the American war in Afghanistan. Must read for any politician regardless of country who might have interest in an occupation of Afghanistan

Sagar Arya is amazing! And this story needs to be heard.

This book is mindblowing. And the presentation is masterful, to say the least. I want to hear more!

Interesting and insightful

Starts a bit slow but if you persevere past the first chapter or two you’ll be rewarded. Also, having the book narrated by an Indian (with a marked subcontinental accent) throws in an interesting flavour of near criticism of the English even when there is none intended by the British author.