Queen Victoria's Little WarsFrom 1837 to 1901, in Asia, China, Canada, Africa, and elsewhere, military expedition were constantly being undertaken to protect resident Britons or British interests, to extend a frontier, to repel an attack, avenge an insult, or suppress a mutiny or rebellion. Continuous warfare became an accepted way of life in the Victorian era, and in the process the size of the British Empire quadrupled.But engrossing as these small wars are--and they bristle with bizarre, tragic, and often humorous incident--it is the officers and men who fought them that dominate this book. With their courage, foolhardiness, and eccentricities, they are an unforgettable lot. |
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action Afghan Afghanistan Afridis arms arrived artillery Ashanti attack battalion battle Bengal besieged Boers brave brigade Britain British army British officers British troops Britons Buller Bunerwals called camp campaign Captain captured cavalry Cawnpore charge Charles China Chinese Chitral Colin Colley Colonel column command Crimea Crimean War defeat Delhi Dervishes Duke Duke of Cambridge Egypt Egyptian army Empire enemy England European expedition Field Force fighting fire fought garrison Gordon Gough Guards guns Gurkhas Havelock Highlanders honour Horse India Indian Mutiny Kabul Khartoum killed later Lieutenant Lieutenant-Colonel London Lord Lucknow major major-general medal miles military mountain Napier Native Infantry North-West Frontier ordered Pathans Punjab Queen Victoria ranks Redvers Buller regiment rifles River Roberts Robertson Royal Second Sikh War sent sepoys shot siege soldiers South Africa staff Sudan thought Tirah took tribes tribesmen Umbeyla Umra Khan Victoria Cross wife Wolseley Wolseley's Wood wounded wrote Zulus