Jan 14, 2014 return of a king by william dalrymple, 9780307948533, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Jun 26, 20 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. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that. William dalrymple frsl, frgs, fras born william hamiltondalrymple on 20 march 1965 is a scottish historian and writer, art historian and curator, as well as a prominent broadcaster and critic. Prizewinning and bestselling historian william dalrymples masterful retelling of britain. Many people had recommended this book to me but i was dismissive about it as it is authored by a british and i thought it would be purely written from british perspective. William dalrymple return of a king the battle f book.
If you are one of those who wondered if history could actually mean hisstory, then this is the book for you. There is no need to tell the story here, this is the second dalrymple book i have read in a short space of time. 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. In the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time.
Dalrymple, with his fluid prose, narrates the incidents of the first afghan war, or the british invasion of afghanistan in 183942, with utmost clarity and vivacity. The author spent time in both afghanistan and pakistan during its research and elaborates on. In the spring of 1839 british forces invaded afghanistan for the first time, reestablishing shah shuja on the throne, in reality as their puppet, and ushering in a period of conflict. The battle for afghanistan by dalrymple, william isbn. After reading city of djinns, william dalrymple had become one of my favorite authors.
His books have won numerous awards and prizes, including the duff cooper memorial prize, the thomas cook travel book award, the sunday times young british writer of the year award, the hemingway, the. The battle for afghanistan is a nonfiction book by william dalyrmple, author of critically acclaimed books like xanadu, city of djinns, white mughals and the last mughal. Jan 26, 20 of dalrymple s recent works, return of a king is perhaps the most directly relevant to the present day. Prizewinning and bestselling historian william dalrymples masterful retelling of britains greatest imperial disaster is a powerful.
For all the boys own tone, however, return of the king is a serious work of history. Many congratulations go to william dalrymple for winning the prestigious kapuscinski prize for literary reportage. Whereas that book was a slender but intense personal account rolled into a historical narrative of the city, return of a king seemed like the opposite. Apeejay kolkata literary festival hosts the book launch of. William dalrymple fras frsl frgs frse born william hamilton dalrymple on 20 march 1965 is a scottish historian and writer, art historian and curator, as well as an awardwinning broadcaster and critic. William dalrymple, an expert on the indian subcontinent in india and delhi are two great books to understand india takes us to afghanistan, in the mid1800s, to recount an insane and unprepared english military operation among the worlds most impervious mountains. Jan 26, 2019 i just finished reading return of a king by william dalrymple and i thought i should share my impression of the book here. Many people had recommended this book to me but i was dismissive about it as it is authored by a british and i thought it would be purely written from british perspective and purely utilizing british sources like other numerous authors. Y ears of ascension led to fatal hubris, exemplified by the disaster of the first anglo. Praise for william dalrymples return of a king brilliant. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 by william dalrymple. This latest book in the saga, the return of a king, captures the british at the cusp of a new era.
Excerpt from william dalrymples return of a king asia. Book summary in the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time. William dalrymple audio books, best sellers, author bio. Apr 02, 2016 return of a king by william dalrymple, vintage, 560 pp. The fullest and most powerful description of the wests first encounter with afghan society. William dalrymple books list of books by author william. His books have won numerous awards and prizes, including the duff cooper memorial prize, the thomas cook travel book award, the sunday times.
The attle for afghanistan 18394 i by william dalrymple, award. Apeejay kolkata literary festival 20 hosted the launch of z zreturn of a king. Led by lancers in scarlet cloaks and plumed shakos, nearly 20,000 british and east india company troops poured through the passes and reestablished on the throne shah shuja ulmulk. White mughals, which won britain s most prestigious history prize, the wolfson. Apeejay kolkata literary festival hosts the book launch of return of a king by william dalrymple kolkata, january 10, 20. In dalrymples usual happy style of historical narrative, applied to a fascinating, neat and highly suggestive series of events, this long and involved book will be a great success, and bring the famous story to a large new audience philip hensher spectator. Of dalrymple s recent works, return of a king is perhaps the most directly relevant to the present day. 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. Prizewinning and bestselling historian william dalrymple s masterful retelling of britain. Return of a king by william dalrymple how ironic it is that the subject of one of britains greatest colonial humiliations is so overlooked today, when it is surely at its most.
Return of a king by william dalrymple, vintage, 560 pp. From william dalrymple awardwinning 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. Dalrymple has told the story of the first afghan war, its causes and consequences, with deep knowledge of the sources from both or rather, all sides. But none would make a better job of it than william dalrymple in this thrilling, magnificently evocative return of a king. 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. Dalrymple makes an important contribution by including recently. He has won the thomas cook travel book award, the sunday times young british writer of the year award, the french prix dastrolabe, the wolfson prize for history, the scottish book of the year award, the duff. From william dalrympleawardwinning historian, journalist and travel writera masterly retelling of what was perhaps the wests greatest imperial disaster in the. William dalrymple return of a king inkroci magazine. The battle for afghanistan, 183942, the definitive analysis of the first. 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.
Led by lancers in scarlet cloaks and plumed shakos, nearly 20,000 british and east india company troops poured through the high mountain passes and reestablished on the throne shah shuja ulmulk. James delingpole, mail on sunday complex and remarkable. William dalrymple fras frsl frgs frse born william hamiltondalrymple on 20 march 1965 is a scottish historian and writer, art historian and curator, as well as a broadcaster and critic. Now based in delhi, dalrymple joins us for a special event to discuss his most recent, acclaimed book return of a king. Jan 01, 20 in the spring of 1839 british forces invaded afghanistan for the first time, reestablishing shah shuja on the throne and ushering in a period of conflict over the territory still unresolved today. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Return of a king by william dalrymple, 9781408831595, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The writer told reporters here tuesday that the book is a history of first angloafghan war. In fact lets just say that in my opinion, narrative history that is as good as it gets. I just finished reading return of a king by william dalrymple and i thought i should share my impression of the book here. 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. The beginning of the great game, a game of chess with no holds barred for the control of the region among european colonial. Jan 30, 2014 return of a king by william dalrymple, 9781408831595, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Analysis of the first afghan war, 18391842, told through the lives of characters on all sides and using contemporary afghan accounts of the conflict. Buy return of a king book online at low prices in india.
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. Few writers could go wrong with a story populated with so many villains, rogues, poltroons, swashbucklers, spies, assassins and heroes. William dalrymples return of a king is a riveting account of one imperial disaster on the roof of the world. The battle for afghanistan, 18391842 will be out in december this year, and has many echoes in contemporary events in the wartorn country. The beginning of the great game, a game of chess with no holds barred for. Of dalrymples recent works, return of a king is perhaps the most directly relevant to the present day. Praise for william dalrymple s return of a king brilliant.
See all books authored by william dalrymple, including city of djinns. His book, return of a king is the most recent winner of the award established in 2010 by the council of the capital city of warsaw to celebrate books of reportage and honour the legacy of the journalist and writer ryzard kapuscinski. Book launch of return of a king by william dalrymple kolkata, january 10, 20. The anarchy tells the remarkable story of how one of the worlds most magnificent empires disintegrated and came to be replaced by a dangerously unregulated private company, based thousands of miles overseas in one small office, five windows wide, and answerable only to its distant shareholders. This flew in the face of advice from alexander burnes, the young and celebrated player of the great game, who.
The battle for afghanistan, 183942 by william dalrymple in 1839, nearly 20,000 british troops poured through the mountain passes into afghanistan and installed the exiled shah shuja on the throne as their puppet. Dalrymple makes an important contribution by including recently discovered afghan accounts of the war, which provide helpful local context. 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. With access to newly discovered primary sources from archives in afghanistan, pakistan, russia and. Awardwinning writer william dalrymple said his return of a king.
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