Raiders of the Sarhad Being an Account of the Campaign of Arms and Bluff Against the Brigands of the Persian-Baluchi Border during the Great War

In the cramped heat of the Persian‑Baluchi frontier, a small British force finds itself thrust into a bewildering mix of desert warfare and tribal intrigue. Brigadier‑General Dyer’s memoir follows the initial orders that send him and his officers deep into rugged gorges, where they must contend with harsh terrain, scarce supplies, and a host of local leaders whose loyalties shift like the sand. The narrative captures the uneasy balance between blunt military tactics and the delicate art of bluff, as the troops negotiate with chiefs, barter for food, and learn to read the customs of the Sarhad peoples.

Interwoven with vivid photographs and two detailed maps, the account offers a front‑line view of daily life in a remote theater of the Great War. Readers glimpse the personalities of officers such as Major Landon and the steadfast Chagai levies, while also witnessing the improvisations—carrying contraptions, digging hastily built forts, and using humor to survive. The early stages of the campaign reveal how small‑scale actions, though modest compared with the larger conflict, contribute to the broader mosaic of the war’s history.