The amazing tale of a resourceful and unscrupulous early-19th-century American adventurer who forges his own kingdom in the wilds of Afghanistan.
In the year 1838, a young adventurer, surrounded by his native troops and mounted on an elephant, raised the American flag on the summit of the Hindu Kush and declared himself Prince of Ghor, the heir to Alexander the Great.
Josiah Harlan, the first American to set foot in Afghanistan, would become the model for Kipling’s ‘The Man Who Would be King’, but the true story of his life is stranger than fiction. A soldier, spy, doctor, naturalist and writer, Harlan set off into the wilds of Central Asia after a failed love affair in 1820. Following a brief stint as a surgeon in the East India Company’s army, he joined the court of the deposed Afghan monarch Shah Shujah, and then slipped into Kabul disguised as a Muslim priest to foment rebellion. For the next two decades he would play a pivotal role in the bloody politics of the region.
Using a trove of newly discovered documents, including Harlan’s long-lost journals, Ben Macintyre has followed Harlan’s footsteps to uncover an astonishing, untold chapter in the history of the Great Game. If you enjoyed William Dalrymple’s ‘Return of a King’, ‘Josiah the Great’ should be on your reading list.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
‘A wonderfully compelling story, immediate and engrossing.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘A riveting and valuable contribution to Great Game literature.’ Spectator
‘If you like 19th-century derring-do, wild men in wild places, dancing girls, murderous plots, people who smoke dried dung, camels, wine laced with pearls and opium, towering eccentrics and true but almost unbelievable adventures – if you like all that kind of thing, this is the book for you.’ Jan Morris
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
£ 6.50
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. pp. 400. Seller Inventory # 3320058
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 12324730-n
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The amazing tale of a resourceful and unscrupulous early-19th-century American adventurer who forges his own kingdom in the wilds of Afghanistan.In the year 1838, a young adventurer, surrounded by his native troops and mounted on an elephant, raised the American flag on the summit of the Hindu Kush and declared himself Prince of Ghor, the heir to Alexander the Great.Josiah Harlan, the first American to set foot in Afghanistan, would become the model for Kiplings The Man Who Would be King, but the true story of his life is stranger than fiction. A soldier, spy, doctor, naturalist and writer, Harlan set off into the wilds of Central Asia after a failed love affair in 1820. Following a brief stint as a surgeon in the East India Companys army, he joined the court of the deposed Afghan monarch Shah Shujah, and then slipped into Kabul disguised as a Muslim priest to foment rebellion. For the next two decades he would play a pivotal role in the bloody politics of the region.Using a trove of newly discovered documents, including Harlans long-lost journals, Ben Macintyre has followed Harlans footsteps to uncover an astonishing, untold chapter in the history of the Great Game. If you enjoyed William Dalrymples Return of a King, Josiah the Great should be on your reading list. The amazing tale of a resourceful and unscrupulous early-19th-century American adventurer who forges his own kingdom in the wilds of Afghanistan. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780007428199
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780007428199
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0007428197-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0007428197-new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780007428199-GDR
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0007428197
Book Description Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9780007428199_new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. (reissue) edition. 400 pages. 7.70x5.10x1.10 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0007428197