Baptism of the Sword

by Malcolm Archibald Book 12 in the Jack Windrush series.

First published 2022

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Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Windrush is sent as an observer on a British-led Egyptian expedition to rescue the garrison of two Egyptian posts in Sudan. When the local warriors intervene, the British send an army. Jack and his regiment, the Royal Malverns, are heavily involved. Things become more complicated when Jack is ordered to hold a village deep in the desert as an escape route for General Gordon and the beleaguered garrison of Khartoum.

It shows the bravery of the ordinary fighting men on both sides, as well as the futility of war. The principal historical frame is Mahdist War. The campaign is treated as part of the wider Victorian imperial system, with logistics, political calculation and the experience of ordinary soldiers complicating the language of honour and conquest.