England's Pride

General Gordon, charged with the task of defending Khartoum, was stabbed to death on 26 January 1885 when the Mahdi’s forces took the town by storm. Two days later, the Expeditionary force arrived to relieve Gordon, but found the town firmly in the hands of the Mahdi. In England’s Pride, Julian Symons tells the story of the disastrous and tragic failure of this mission. Analyzing events from both a political and military stance, and consulting a wide range of sources, he questions why the Gladstone government did not act sooner in the first place, and once orders were given, what contributed to the complex chain of events that was ultimately to thwart the relieving force. Capturing in brilliant detail all the glory of Victorian times, England’s Pride is a vivid and dramatic book on a sorely neglected subject.

Generalul Gordon, insarcinat cu apararea Khartoumului, a fost injunghiat la moarte la 26 ianuarie 1885, cand fortele Mahdi au luat orasul prin asalt. Doua zile mai tarziu, forta expeditionara a sosit pentru a-l usura pe Gordon, dar a gasit orasul ferm in mainile Mahdi.