Retreat from Kabul: The Catastrophic British Defeat in Afghanistan, 1842

Rating:
Summary: Choppy at times, but comprehensive
Review: Having owned and read more than a dozen books that deal with this period in time and place, I will say that MacRory's book is perhaps among the most comprehensive, and probably the most single-purposed of the lot, but it has flaws. The author jumps around quite a bit chronologically, moving backwards and forwards in time from chapter to chapter, and even within the same chapter in places. To a casual reader, this might prove confusing. Because of the prior knowledge I had, I found it disconcerting at best. In addition, I found several factual errors which didn't jive with other reporting on these events. I wasn't studious enough to take notes as I read it, but I remember saying to myself "That's not what (insert other author here) has to say about this" - and I used Hopkirk and other qualified references as my point of view. Perhaps the passage of time has brought other facts in to view.
However, overall I found the work to be quite effective at conveying the sheer stupidity of the British leadership, the lackluster attempts at organization and control undertaken by the occupying force, and the swift yet ultimately meaningless retribution. All in all, a good addition to my library, and a recommended read, if you can get past the time-shifting.