Our Soldiers: Gallant Deeds of the British Army during Victoria's Reign

The book opens in the turbulent years of the early 19th century, when Britain’s imperial ambitions clashed with the shifting powers of Afghanistan and Persia. It follows a cast of determined figures—an exiled Afghan ameer, a restless Sikh ruler, and the young Lieutenant Eldred Pottinger—whose personal ambitions and loyalties set the stage for a series of daring confrontations. Through vivid storytelling the narrative captures the uneasy neutrality of the East India Company, the intrigue surrounding the coveted Koh‑i‑noor, and the first brutal sieges that tested British resolve.

Readers are then taken into the harsh landscape of the Bolan Pass, where thousands of soldiers trudged through snow‑capped mountains, desert heat, and constant guerrilla raids. The account highlights the grit of ordinary troops hauling artillery by rope, the strategic daring of commanders like Sir John Keane, and the courage that held the line at Herat. By focusing on these early exploits, the work paints a compelling picture of courage and hardship in a remote, unforgiving theater of war.