Hodder & Stoughton, £6.99, 342pp £6.64 from the Independent Bookshop: 08430 600 030

Hart of Empire, By Saul David

Reviewed by Boyd Tonkin

Friday 24 June 2011

Jihadi warriors threaten to topple Western power in Afghanistan once again. In Kabul, setbacks and blunders in the British battle against an Islamist insurgency call for desperate measures to stop the slide into military failure... We're in 1879, not 2011, and the second of Saul David's period novels to feature mixed-race adventurer Captain George Hart.

When historians turn to popular fiction, these men (and women) who would be king of the charts can misfire badly. But David's creation, with his aura of a less scoundrelly Flashman or a high-Victorian Bond, leads the yarn at a fine gallop.

And David sketches the relevant history fast and true – especially with figures as savoury as the remarkable general "Bobs" Roberts.

Suggested Topics
Arts and Entertainment
Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey movie

film Sex scene trailer sees a shirtless Jamie Dornan turn up the heat

Arts and Entertainment
A sketch of Van Gogh has been discovered in the archives of Kunsthalle Bremen in Germany

Sketch of Van Gogh drawn by his friend is discovered

arts + ents
Arts and Entertainment
Eleanor Catton has hit back after being accused of 'treachery' for criticising the government.

Booker winner responds to 'vicious' attacks

books
Arts and Entertainment
Fake Banksy stencil given to artist Alex Jakob-Whitworth

Cumbria's Banksy imposter is coming unstuck

art

Arts and Entertainment
'The Archers' has an audience of about five million

Has The Archers lost the plot with spicy storylines?

radioA growing number of listeners are voicing their discontent; so loudly that even the BBC's director-general seems worried
PROMOTED VIDEO
Arts and Entertainment
Taylor Swift is heading to Norwich for Radio 1's Big Weekend

Radio 1's Big Weekend 2015 line-up confirmed

music
Arts and Entertainment
Beer as folk: Vincent Franklin and Cyril Nri (centre) in ‘Cucumber’

Russell T Davies is on top form with Cucumber

tvReview: This slice of gay life in Manchester has universal appeal
Have you tried new the Independent Digital Edition apps?
Arts and Entertainment

A History of The Great War in 100 Moments

ebooksNow available in paperback
Arts and Entertainment

The Great Composers: fourteen of the giants of Western classical music

ebooks
Arts and Entertainment
‘A Day at the Races’ still stands up well today

BFI launches special Marx Brothers season

film
Arts and Entertainment
‘The Royals’ – a ‘twisted, soapy take on England’s first family’

The US drama crowned the worst show on TV

tvAnd its producers have already announced a second season...
Arts and Entertainment
Kraftwerk performing at the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) museum in Berlin earlier this month

Fun, fun, fun at Aston University

musicWhy a bunch of academics consider German electropoppers Kraftwerk worthy of their own symposium
Arts and Entertainment
Icelandic singer Bjork has been forced to release her album early after an online leak

Bjork's Vulnicura - first listen review

music
Arts and Entertainment
Colin Firth as Harry Hart in Kingsman: The Secret Service

Colin Firth 'still keen' for Bridget Jones 3

film
Arts and Entertainment
Brian Blessed as King Lear in the Guildford Shakespeare Company's performance of the play

Brian Blessed collapses playing King Lear - and returns minutes later

theatre
Arts and Entertainment
In the picture: Anthony LaPaglia and Martin Freeman in 'The Eichmann Show'

BBC2's The Eichmann Show - review

tv
Arts and Entertainment
Anne Kirkbride and Bill Roache as Deirdre and Ken Barlow in Coronation Street

Anne Kirkbride's best Corrie moments

tvThe actress has died aged 60
Arts and Entertainment
Marianne Jean-Baptiste defends Joe Miller in Broadchurch series two

Broadchurch gets tangled - review

tv
Arts and Entertainment
The frill of it all: Hattie Morahan in 'The Changeling'

Hattie Morahan on The Changeling

theatre
Arts and Entertainment
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny may reunite for The X Files

The truth is out there: Fox wants X Files reboot

tv
Arts and Entertainment
Jeremy Clarkson, left, and Richard Hammond upset the locals in South America

Top Gear 'not trusted by BBC' says the executive producer Andy Wilman

TV
News
A young woman punched a police officer after attending a gig by US rapper Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg described as a 'misogynist wretch' by Northern Ireland Judge

people
Arts and Entertainment
Reese Witherspoon starring in 'Wild'

Wild - film review

It's hard not to warm to Reese Witherspoon's heroismfilm
Arts and Entertainment
Word up: Robbie Coltrane as dictionary guru Doctor Johnson in the classic sitcom Blackadder the Third

Academics are campaigning to bring back 'dead words'

books
Arts and Entertainment
The Oscar nominations are due to be announced today

Full list of Oscar nominations as Grand Bupadest Hotel and Birdman lead the way

Oscars 2015
Arts and Entertainment
Hacked off: Maisie Williams in ‘Cyberbully’

Cyberbully - review

Maisie Williams single-handedly rises to the challenge

TV
Arts and Entertainment
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game are both nominated at the Bafta Film Awards

Battle of the British brains for Best Actor

Arts & Ents blogs

Point G: A Chat With Paris’ Finest

Friday Book Design Blog: Here

Bill Patrick: The Trials & Tribulations Of The Working Class DJ

Latest stories from i100

independent images

Have you tried new the Independent Digital Edition apps?
SPONSORED FEATURES

A warm welcome to the smiling coast of Gambia

The Gambia is fast becoming known as a winter sun haven

Robots vs. Humans i100 Fit for 2015
Prizes & offers Business videos

Jobs that robots can't do as well as humans

Here are 10 jobs where robots will never be better than humans…

Gambia i100 Fit for 2015
Prizes & offers Business videos

i100: Who makes your world a better place?

Tweet us the people who deserve some recognition to @thei100 with the hashtag #everydayhero and tell us why.

Gambia Robots vs. Humans Fit for 2015
Prizes & offers Business videos

Fitness reconfigured

A multi-million-pound gym revamp. A new member experience designed by sports psychologists. In 2015, Fitness First really is setting the agenda.

Gambia Robots vs. Humans i100
Prizes & offers Business videos

Enter the latest Independent competitions

Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.

Gambia Robots vs. Humans i100
Fit for 2015 Business videos

Business videos from commercial thought leaders

Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.

Gambia Robots vs. Humans i100
Fit for 2015 Prizes & offers

ES Rentals

    Independent Dating
    and  

    By clicking 'Search' you
    are agreeing to our
    Terms of Use.

    Isis hostage crisis: The prisoner swap has only one purpose for the militants - recognition its Islamic State exists and that foreign nations acknowledge its power

    Isis hostage crisis

    The prisoner swap has only one purpose for the militants - recognition its Islamic State exists and that foreign nations acknowledge its power, says Robert Fisk
    Missing salvage expert who found $50m of sunken treasure before disappearing, tracked down at last

    The runaway buccaneers and the ship full of gold

    Salvage expert Tommy Thompson found sunken treasure worth millions. Then he vanished... until now
    Homeless Veterans appeal: ‘If you’re hard on the world you are hard on yourself’

    Homeless Veterans appeal: ‘If you’re hard on the world you are hard on yourself’

    Maverick artist Grayson Perry backs our campaign
    Assisted Dying Bill: I want to be able to decide about my own death - I want to have control of my life

    Assisted Dying Bill: 'I want control of my life'

    This week the Assisted Dying Bill is debated in the Lords. Virginia Ironside, who has already made plans for her own self-deliverance, argues that it's time we allowed people a humane, compassionate death
    Move over, kale - cabbage is the new rising star

    Cabbage is king again

    Sophie Morris banishes thoughts of soggy school dinners and turns over a new leaf
    11 best winter skin treats

    Give your moisturiser a helping hand: 11 best winter skin treats

    Get an extra boost of nourishment from one of these hard-working products
    Paul Scholes column: The more Jose Mourinho attempts to influence match officials, the more they are likely to ignore him

    Paul Scholes column

    The more Jose Mourinho attempts to influence match officials, the more they are likely to ignore him
    Frank Warren column: No cigar, but pots of money: here come the Cubans

    Frank Warren's Ringside

    No cigar, but pots of money: here come the Cubans
    Isis hostage crisis: Militant group stands strong as its numerous enemies fail to find a common plan to defeat it

    Isis stands strong as its numerous enemies fail to find a common plan to defeat it

    The jihadis are being squeezed militarily and economically, but there is no sign of an implosion, says Patrick Cockburn
    Virtual reality thrusts viewers into the frontline of global events - and puts film-goers at the heart of the action

    Virtual reality: Seeing is believing

    Virtual reality thrusts viewers into the frontline of global events - and puts film-goers at the heart of the action
    Homeless Veterans appeal: MP says Coalition ‘not doing enough’

    Homeless Veterans appeal

    MP says Coalition ‘not doing enough’ to help
    Larry David, Steve Coogan and other comedians share stories of depression in new documentary

    Comedians share stories of depression

    The director of the new documentary, Kevin Pollak, tells Jessica Barrett how he got them to talk
    Has The Archers lost the plot with it's spicy storylines?

    Has The Archers lost the plot?

    A growing number of listeners are voicing their discontent over the rural soap's spicy storylines; so loudly that even the BBC's director-general seems worried, says Simon Kelner
    English Heritage adds 14 post-war office buildings to its protected lists

    14 office buildings added to protected lists

    Christopher Beanland explores the underrated appeal of these palaces of pen-pushing
    Human skull discovery in Israel proves humans lived side-by-side with Neanderthals

    Human skull discovery in Israel proves humans lived side-by-side with Neanderthals

    Scientists unearthed the cranial fragments from Manot Cave in West Galilee