$18.60 with 26 percent savings
List Price: $25.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$18.60 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.60
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
YesWelle 📚
Sold by
YesWelle 📚
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

The First Afghan War 1839–42: Invasion, catastrophe and retreat (Campaign, 298) Paperback – August 23, 2016

by Professor Richard Macrory Hon KC (Author), Peter Dennis (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 62 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$18.60","priceAmount":18.60,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"60","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"JyLeCCHtflY5mPrS5naZYodLOokFlI75mEUqVRwp7GEj4lTo%2BW0KyXnKAS6aIJRkrt4gqW9B3lNYrAI92wozOPRD%2BMbQzNHJy6dFFrv4i%2Fy1Zu2BnWJZz0nJejbTt1YijoFmhyjkxE%2FUpPOgipLoX4pNvhhyLa5doOCwwu%2F2%2BU0kRcy8gxX4dTXcG7z%2B0IyT","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In 1839, forces of the British East India Company crossed the Indus to invade Afghanistan on the pretext of reinstating a former king, Shah Soojah, to his rightful throne. The reality was that this was another step in Britain's Great Game--Afghanistan would create a buffer to any potential Russian expansion toward India.

This history traces the initial, highly successful campaign as the British easily occupied Kabul and the rebellion that two years later humbled the British army. Forced to negotiate a surrender, the British fled Kabul en masse in the harsh Afghan winter. Decimated by Afghan guerilla attacks and by the extreme cold paired with a lack of food and supplies, just one European--Dr. Brydon--would make it to the safety of Jalalabad five days later. This highly illustrated history then goes on to trace the retribution attack on Kabul the following year, which destroyed the symbolic Mogul Bazaar before troops rapidly withdrew and left Afghanistan in peace for nearly a generation.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Campaign
  2. Print length
    96 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  5. Publication date
    August 23, 2016
  6. Dimensions
    7.35 x 0.3 x 9.7 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9781472813978
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1472813978
  9. See all details
Next page
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Frequently bought together

The First Afghan War 1839–42: Invasion, catastrophe and retreat (Campaign, 298)
$18.60
Get it as soon as Monday, May 20
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by YesWelle 📚 and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The First Anglo-Sikh War 1845–46: The betrayal of the Khalsa (Campaign, 338)
$25.00
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15
Only 3 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

From the Publisher

military history;campaign;Osprey

military history;campaign;Osprey

military history;campaign;Osprey

military history;campaign;Osprey

Full colour battlescenes

Beautifully illustrated battlescenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life.

Three-dimensional ‘bird’s-eye-views'

Each three-dimensional 'bird's-eye view' is meticulously researched to recreate the actual battlefield at that point in history with accurate contour detail, scaling, landscaping and terrain features.

Maps

Detailed historical maps frame each battle or campaign, and provide the key historical context.

military history;campaign;Osprey

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Macrory Hon KC is Emeritus Professor of environmental law at University College London where he set up and was first director of the Centre for Law and the Environment.

Professor Macrory served as a board member of the Environment Agency England and Wales between 1999 and 2004, and was a long-standing member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Environmental Law.

In 2006 Professor Macrory led the Cabinet Office Review on Regulatory Sanctions and his recommendations were reflected in Part 3 Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 which established the framework for civil sanctions in the regulatory field.

Professor Macrory was the first chair of the UK Environmental Law Association, and in 2016-2018 was co-chair of the UKELA's Brexit Task Force. He is a bencher of Grays Inn, and was appointed an Hon. KC in 2008.



Peter Dennis was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, leading him to study Illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1472813979
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; First Edition (August 23, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781472813978
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472813978
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.35 x 0.3 x 9.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 62 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
62 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

HMS Warspite
5.0 out of 5 stars A cautionary tale...
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
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.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Max Prendergast
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent condensed history
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
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.
Helpful
 Report
Christopher Hahn
4.0 out of 5 stars Quick read and interesting
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
Quick read, good illustrations, informative on a war that is difficult to find a thorough book on. I keep waiting for Brian Robson to put one out since he already did Second and Third Afghan Wars. I would also like to have seen more on Pollock's punitive campaign which is given only a passing treatment with most of the book concentrating on the British invasion and retreat from Kabul.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Nipper
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Accounting Par Excellence
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
A second to none accounting of an ages old situation. The darkest days of the British Empire and the headiest days of The Great Game.
Helpful
 Report
J. Brett
5.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile to read
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent book. It addresses in depth this little known war. Perhaps recent leaders needed to read this to understand. Excellent illustrations.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
John William Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book adds another title to Osprey's growing campaign series.
Helpful
 Report
William Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
Somewhat "lost history" but a very good resource for this small, overlooked part of history.
Helpful
 Report
Daniel
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
Interesting book about the British invasion of Afghanistan. It is interesting to see the similarities between now and then.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Barry G. Meadows
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
lots of good information!
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
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.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Massimo
5.0 out of 5 stars Recensione The First Afghan War 1839-42 book
Reviewed in Italy on November 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
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.
Report
Rob Rod
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well done!
Reviewed in Italy on April 24, 2017
Verified Purchase
A nice and intriguing representation of a period that people like me usually miss. Fluid accounting and enjoyable like an adventure book. This without loosing the accuracy of historical facts. Waiting for the second part of the story.
Report
roxy
5.0 out of 5 stars First Afghan War - explaine and explored!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
Fascinating book well and profusely illustrated largely from contemporary sources. The author’s legal background shows in his meticulous documentation of the events he describes. A very interesting book of much wider interest than the title suggests.
2 people found this helpful
 Report