ABOUT THE BOOK

In may 1919 the new Empire of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan-convinced that the British Empire was on the brink of collapse-proclaimed a jihad against Britain in the hope the could seize the old Afghan provinces west of the River Indus and humiliate his old enemy. The war began with the invasion of the tribal belf, in what is today Pakistan, where Amanullah expected to rouse all the tribes against British. British-Indian forces retaliated by fighting their way across the mountains and back up the Khyber Pass. For the sake of a better peace, the third Afghan War ended with Britain granting autonomy in foreign affairs to the Afghans in the Treaty of Rawalpindi. Whilst air power had played a significant part in the British success, the Afghans had issued a stark reminder that they were formidable adversaries.

ABOUT Author

General Sir Andrew Skeen, KCB, KCIE, CMG (20 January 1873-18 February 1935) served in the British Indian Army, rising to the position of Chief of the General Staff. He also served in China during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 and in Gallipoli during the first World War, Robert Johnson is the author of Spying for Empire: The Great Game in Central and Southern Asia.