The River War

Churchill's book is, as may be expected, distinctly "dated" in terms of his views on race, the distinction between civilization and savagery, the benefits of imperialism, etc. If one can get past this, however, it's an excellent narrative history of the Anglo-Egyptian (re-)conquest of the Sudan, not devoid of sympathy for the Sudanese. Indeed, he expresses full understanding for the Sudanese having revolted against the previous Egyptian occupation, and gives a mostly positive appraisal of the Mahdi - perhaps surprising to a British public for whom revenge for the killing of General Gordon by the Mahdi's forces had been a primary motive for the war. He even finds a few positive things to say about the Mahdi's much-maligned successor, the show more Khalifa Abdullahi.

The war as such was an uneven contest, Sudanese numbers and courage being no match for superior Anglo-Egyptian firepower, and the casualties in all major engagements were horrifically loopsided. One can hardly fail to feel a mixture of awe and revulsion that, after the catastrophic failure of the first Mahdist attack at Omdurman, the Khalifa did not only order a second but was obeyed, resulting in further thousands of casualties for no gain.

The general reader may find the accounts of battles and skirmishes less interesting than Churchill's many digressions about the Sudanese environment, and the chapter about the construction of a railroad across the Nubian desert to support the advance of the Anglo-Egyptian army. Indeed, I chanced upon a geology paper on the Sudanese Nile that recommended The River War as the best general account of the "Cataract Nile" between Assuan and Khartoum!

It should be noted I read the revised 1902 edition (well, a reprint thereof). show less

Engaging and absorbing account of, principally, the 1890s campaign to reconquer the Sudan from the Khalifa, successor to the Mahdi. However, Churchill also gives the reader a comprehensive survey of how the war came to pass. The events of the war are told very engagingly; some of the events Churchill had seen with his own eyes, and had participated in. You can tell Churchill's "voice" quite distinctly in the writing. Another thing to like about the book is the profusion of very attractive maps that greatly explain and illustrate the movements described in the text -- Churchill makes a great point of drawing the reader's attention to these maps at certain points. There are also various musings on war, and upon Islam (some of which show more resonate -- for good or evil -- today). Overall, a major advance on is first book on the Malakand Field Force, and a book that was key to Churchill's future, as he soon abandoned the army for the desk and the hustings. Definitely recommended. show less

With its victory in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War, Britain established a colonial protectorate over the Khedive government which included the Egyptian administration over Sudan. When Muhammad Ahmad declared himself as Mahdi, the spiritual and military savior of the Arabic peoples of the Sudan, and a massive uprising ensued, the weak Egyptian forces were relegated to ineffective garrisons of the major towns. The British government under Gladstone did not wish to extend their influence into the area and sent General Charles George Gordon to evacuate the garrisons. He did not: and, after an extended siege, Khartoum fell (26 January,1885).
In 1896, Herbert Kitchener was sent to reconquer Sudan. With him was a young lieutenant of the 21st show more Lancers, Winston Churchill, who evidently viewed himself more as an war correspondent (albeit an opinionated one) than as a soldier. His views of Gordon are nearly worshipful and his resentment of the policies of the Gladstone government in its dealings with him are not concealed.
Churchill's account of Kitchener's campaign which is the thrust of this book is not an impartial, journalistically pure report, but it is an interesting read and gives insights to events that reverberate in the Arabic world today.The River War, an Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan also exemplifies Churchill's powerful descriptive writing: "The fine sand, driven by the wind, gathers into deep drifts, and silts among the dark rocks of the hills, exactly as snow hangs about an Alpine summit; only it is a fiery snow, such as might fall in hell." This is writing which a reader from any era can grasp; however, much of the explanatory material leading up to the Battle of Omdurman (2 September 1898), requires an adjustment to the writing style and moral values of a generation more than one hundred years behind us. He writes of the fall of Khartoum and the death of Charles Gordon: "Yet nearly everyone who reads the tale will wish – in spite of reason – that some help, however little, had reached the lonely man; that before the darkness fell he had grasped an English hand, and learned that his countrymen had not abandoned him, had not forgotten – would never forget."
The River War was in reality not romantic. It lasted fourteen years at a cost of more that 300000 lives, and surely gave an insight into the horrors that awaited the world just a score of years off. show less

1189. The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan, by Winston Churchill (Oct 9, 1972) Churchill wrote this book when he was 25 and it was published in 1899. It is a well-written work, though the imperialistic view is not one that people today would appreciate. It recounts the events leading up to and culminating in the Battle of Khartoum (called Omdurman in this book) on Sept 2, 1898. Though I read it hurriedly I thought it was masterful.

Excellent work. This work briefly and clearly demonstration of Churchill's writing strength by being both patriotic to the point of jingoism and still being evenhanded, even complementary, in his treatment of enemy an he had personally fought against.

One of the main reasons to read this book, however is to understand World War 1. Many of those British military men who figured prominently in that great war are mentioned here as officers, many as junior officers. "This is where Lord Kitchener got his "Lord" and his famous "Kitchener of Khartoum" - the "K of K" with which he signed his papers. We see his methodical buildup, his command of logistics and supply, his patient strategic mindset. Just as the British took years to build up show more Kitchener's Army for WW1, so did the Anglo-Egyptian forces patiently build their professional fighting forces to reclaim the rebellious Sudan. Others on the Western Front include John French (BEF), Douglas Haig (BEF), Henry Rawlinson (the Somme and Amiens), David Beatty (Jutland, Grand Fleet), and Churchill himself.

Many of those who would work on the groundwork for the modern Middle East and North Africa are present. We see Reginald Wingate, Gilbert Clayton, and Henry McMahon, all of whom would work with or above T. E. Lawrence.

Other readers with better memories will catch other names and connect them to greater engagements in other theaters around the globe - China, Central Asia, the Boer War, and the Great War. show less

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