author
Freiherr von Rudolf Carl Slatin
1857–1932
An Austrian soldier and Sudan administrator, he became famous for surviving years of captivity under the Mahdists and later telling the story in a vivid memoir. His life moved from Vienna to Khartoum and back again, crossing empires, wars, and political upheaval.
3 Audiobooks
Fire and Sword in the Sudan A Personal Narrative of Fighting and Serving the Dervishes 1879-1895
by Freiherr von Rudolf Carl Slatin
Fer et feu au Soudan, vol. 2 of 2
by Freiherr von Rudolf Carl Slatin
Fer et feu au Soudan, vol. 1 of 2
by Freiherr von Rudolf Carl Slatin
About the author
Born near Vienna on June 7, 1857, Rudolf Carl von Slatin built an unusual career in northeastern Africa. He served in the Sudan under Egyptian authority, became governor of Darfur, and was drawn into the violent struggles surrounding the Mahdist revolt. His long imprisonment after the fall of Darfur made him widely known in Europe, especially after his escape in 1895.
Slatin later worked closely with British and Egyptian authorities in Sudan, serving as inspector general after the reconquest. He was valued for his local knowledge and for his firsthand understanding of the region's politics and military realities. English-language sources often remember him as Slatin Pasha, reflecting the title he held during his service.
He also left a lasting written record through Fire and Sword in the Sudan, a memoir based on his years of fighting, captivity, and escape. Rudolf Carl von Slatin died in Vienna on October 4, 1932, but his life story still stands out as one of the most dramatic personal accounts connected with nineteenth-century Sudan.