The Story of the Malakand Field Force

As a 22-year-old subaltern in the 4th Hussars stationed in Bangalore in 1897, Winston Churchill was an ambitious young soldier. Seeking military distinction, he talked his way onto the Malakand Field Force to battle restless frontier tribes after meeting the commander, Sir Bindon Blood, at a social engagement. There were no openings for junior officers--but Churchill convinced the commander to allow him to come along as a war correspondent. And thus a great career was born. This book shows the determination and spirit that would later mature into the indomitable personality of Winston Churchill in his prime. While not as polished as his later work, it is still elegantly crafted--and shows a brash willingness to criticize military leaders, including Lord Kitchener himself. It is one of Churchill's more rare works; until a new edition was published in 1990, it had been out of print in English since 1916.