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

Still Trying to Get My Head Around It

This is the second “Great Game narrative” I’ve read (listened to) in the last half year. I understand it a little better after reading this one, but the narrator took a very long time to get used to which is difficult for this story because there are so many names in this story. Part of the issue is that this is not a book you should listen to. You should read and you should have some prior knowledge. At least read Hopkirk first- but honestly you’re still going to struggle. I should have listened to Dalrymple’s bit on the Empire Podcast before I took up this book. In an event I’m through it, but it wasn’t a simple operation.

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.

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!

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.

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.