"In this stirring chronicle of the quest undertaken by fearless young British officers in Queen Victoria's Army to secure India's northwest frontier, Charles Allen brings to life one of the most extraordinary chapters in British colonial history. At the same time, he illuminates the background to the ensuing "Great Game," in which Europe's imperial powers squared off in an international tournament to gain control over all of Central Asia.".

"Drawing extensively upon diaries, letters, and family mementos as well as his own frequent travels in India, Allen weaves together the stories of John Nicholson and seven other illustrious soldier sahibs into a vivid historical narrative that comes to a rousing climax on the Delhi Ridge in 1857, when with flashing sabers this singular brotherhood fought to save British India from native rebellion."--BOOK JACKET.