Only an Ensign: A Tale of the Retreat from Cabul, Volume 2 (of 3)

In the shadow of the rugged Black Rocks, a small British detachment holds court inside a half‑ruined native tower near Cabul. Lieutenant Denzil Devereaux, his fellow Cornish Light Bobs, and the gregarious Captain Bob Waller occupy bamboo chairs, trading brandy‑pawnee and cigars while the fire throws a warm glow over caricature‑etched walls. Their easy banter hides the uneasy fact that General Elphinstone’s army is poised on the brink of a daunting withdrawal.

The novel opens with winter evenings that mix the scent of spiced tea with the distant echo of Afghan hills, and with tales of love‑lost villages that linger beyond the windows. As rumors of Afghan resistance stir, the officers find themselves caught between duty and the thin line of survival in an unfamiliar land. Listeners are drawn into a world of comradeship, cultural clashes, and the quiet dread that precedes a historic retreat.