I did it! - As 2024 closes, I’ve just finished ‘The Return of a King’ by William Dalrymple, a book I promised myself I’d complete before the new year. It’s a dense read—not for lack of enjoyment, but for the detail Dalrymple uses. His research takes us deep into the First Anglo-Afghan War, bringing to light perspectives often ignored in Western accounts. Dalrymple’s dedication is unparalleled. He travelled Afghanistan several times to retrace the British retreat route from the 1840s & better understand the geography central to the story. He visited countless places associated with the war and worked tirelessly to uncover elusive Afghan sources that tell their side of the conflict. What struck me most was Dalrymple’s personal connection to the war. His great-great-uncle, Lieutenant General Colin Mackenzie, was a British political officer in the war and left behind his own account, providing Dalrymple with a deeply personal lens through which to examine the conflict. The history of “A...