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Product Description
On 25 January 1885, a Sudanese Islamic revolutionary army entered Khartoum. The slaughter continued from dawn until noon and involved the beheading of British officer General Charles Gordon
About the Author
Fergus Nicoll is a freelance current affairs journalist and presenter., working for the BBC World Service and CNN and as media consultant for a UK security firm.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is, in my experience, a very rare book on the Sudan campaigns in that it concentrates prdominantly on the Mahdist view of the uprising and the Gordon Relief campaign. All too often books surrounding the siege and fall of Khartoum begin with only a cursory overview of the rise of the Mahdi before launching in to in-depth coverage of the relief expedition. This book chronicles the life of the Mahdi from his birth, detailing his upbringing and how htis shaped his thinking and gave rise to his spearheading of the rebellion that brought the downfall of Egyptian rule in the Sudan. The rebellion is covered in considerable detail, in particular the deep tribal divisions that illustrate that it was not a clear cut "Sudanese vs. Egyptian" situation. In short this book is a perfect companion to more "traditional" coverage of the war in the Sudan, and I highly recommend it.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found this book to be exactly what I wanted, an objective, informative and interesting account of the Mahdi of Sudan and the events that led up to the death of General Gordon. The book was a very easy and compelling read that I finished in just three sittings. I also like the pictures of Gordon, Hick's field force, the Mahdi's tomb, and Usman Digna of the Mahdi's forces. In addition Nicoll has included maps of the Sudan that give readers an idea of the geography of the Sudan in the late 19th century.
Another aspect of the book I liked was the use of quotes from British Army figures at the battle of Omdurman, the Mahdi's communication with Gordon and Gordon's communication with senior figures in Egypt. Having read this book I would reccommend it to anyone who wishes to have a clearer picture of what happened in the Sudan during this fascinating period of history.
Another aspect of the book I liked was the use of quotes from British Army figures at the battle of Omdurman, the Mahdi's communication with Gordon and Gordon's communication with senior figures in Egypt. Having read this book I would reccommend it to anyone who wishes to have a clearer picture of what happened in the Sudan during this fascinating period of history.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
18 of 36 people found the following review helpful
an attempt at some sort of balance
1 Oct 2006
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I always approach a biography or a volume of history written by a Brit with great caution.
The Brits always whine about "popularizing history," and then write the most dull, godawful books one can imagine. They seem to have a knack for terribly written history. Gibbon died a long time ago, and it has all been downhill ever since.
Added to my worry about the book was the fact that the author worked for the BBC. I cannot think of a greater qualification for disaster, slanted history, and lack of objectivity than working for the BBC. There was a time when it had a serious news department, with serious reporters. But that was long ago. What you get from the BBC today is slanted rubbish, with a strong anti-American and anti-Western bias. Like Reuters, the BBC has become a cruel parody of itself.
So with those two worries in mind, I decided to read the book about the Mahdi and Gordon.
Overall, I got a fairly pleasant surprise. The book is readable. It does not suffer from the British style of history, so you can actually read and enjoy it. A good start.
The author also tries to tell the story of the Mahdi, with a certain degree of objectivity. And the Mahdi's story needs telling. He seems to be the forerunner of what we are facing today--Islamic fanaticism, and a charismatic figure to spur it on. Bin Laden and the Mahdi share many traits--some positive, most not.
One can, with a certain degree of imagination, see the appeal of the two. They both put their money where there mouth is--and both show the power of example. I might not like the example, but you have to give them a certain degree of credit. By giving some credit, you see how they developed a following.
The author seems to have little use for Gordon, and downplays his role in the story as much as possible. He even has a hard time giving Gordon credit for not running, and facing death with the others in Khartoum. I realize its very fashionable-- in these days of Londonistan-- to look for all the good in Islam, while downplaying the West, but Gordon deserves more credit. The man had courage, and the courage of his convictions. He was certainly no more "nutty" than the Mahdi. Gordon was a flawed, but brave figure. He, too, put his life where his mouth was.
This book is worth reading if the story interests you. The story of the Mahdi needs telling. History does repeat itself. Bin Laden and the Mahdi are not the same, to be sure, but there are some stunning simililarites. Both fanatics believe, or believed their faith, and both carried it to remarkable levels. Bin Laden and the Mahdi appeal to the Islamic desire for a leader to make Islam proud, and make the infidels quake.
The Brits always whine about "popularizing history," and then write the most dull, godawful books one can imagine. They seem to have a knack for terribly written history. Gibbon died a long time ago, and it has all been downhill ever since.
Added to my worry about the book was the fact that the author worked for the BBC. I cannot think of a greater qualification for disaster, slanted history, and lack of objectivity than working for the BBC. There was a time when it had a serious news department, with serious reporters. But that was long ago. What you get from the BBC today is slanted rubbish, with a strong anti-American and anti-Western bias. Like Reuters, the BBC has become a cruel parody of itself.
So with those two worries in mind, I decided to read the book about the Mahdi and Gordon.
Overall, I got a fairly pleasant surprise. The book is readable. It does not suffer from the British style of history, so you can actually read and enjoy it. A good start.
The author also tries to tell the story of the Mahdi, with a certain degree of objectivity. And the Mahdi's story needs telling. He seems to be the forerunner of what we are facing today--Islamic fanaticism, and a charismatic figure to spur it on. Bin Laden and the Mahdi share many traits--some positive, most not.
One can, with a certain degree of imagination, see the appeal of the two. They both put their money where there mouth is--and both show the power of example. I might not like the example, but you have to give them a certain degree of credit. By giving some credit, you see how they developed a following.
The author seems to have little use for Gordon, and downplays his role in the story as much as possible. He even has a hard time giving Gordon credit for not running, and facing death with the others in Khartoum. I realize its very fashionable-- in these days of Londonistan-- to look for all the good in Islam, while downplaying the West, but Gordon deserves more credit. The man had courage, and the courage of his convictions. He was certainly no more "nutty" than the Mahdi. Gordon was a flawed, but brave figure. He, too, put his life where his mouth was.
This book is worth reading if the story interests you. The story of the Mahdi needs telling. History does repeat itself. Bin Laden and the Mahdi are not the same, to be sure, but there are some stunning simililarites. Both fanatics believe, or believed their faith, and both carried it to remarkable levels. Bin Laden and the Mahdi appeal to the Islamic desire for a leader to make Islam proud, and make the infidels quake.
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