Edward Gleichen

With the Camel Corps Up the Nile: the 'Gordon Relief Expedition' Against the Mahdists, Sudan, 1885 Edward Gleichen

'The sand of the desert is sodden red
The Gatling's jammed and the colonel dead'

This is a fascinating memoir of the early career of a prominent British soldier of the late 19th and early 20th century. It is made the more interesting because it concerns the actions of one of those odd types of unit that special and peculiar conditions occasionally create in armed forces-in this case the Guard's Camel Regiment. The author guides the reader through the fascinating and unique business of combining Guardsmen and camels before they together embark on the ill-fated campaign to rescue the beleaguered Gordon in Khartoum. This is a unique book which describes the desert march in vivid detail. What makes it essential is the description of the battle of Abu Klea from the perspective of one who fought within the famous 'broken square.' This, together with riveting battle action at Abu Kru and other engagements makes for a classic account of the 'gentlemen in khaki' at war in the name of the Queen Empress. The text is liberally illustrated by the author. Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket.