Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, written by the Scottish historian William Dalrymple and published in 2012, is an account of the First Anglo–Afghan War from 1839 to 1842.
Return of a King is an account of Britain's invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 1839–42, known as the First Anglo–Afghan War, which was fought between British East India Company and Afghanistan. The conflict resulted in the near complete destruction of an entire British army, with deaths of 4,500 British and Indian soldiers, plus 12,000 of their camp followers.[1] It was one of the worst defeats Britain would experience during the Victorian colonial era, and considered by many Afghans to be one of the greatest triumphs in their national history. It was the first major conflict of The Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Asia between the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire.

Mughal Library