In the 1880s, control over northeastern Africa was a political minefield into which Prime Minister Gladstone did not want to step - until his emissary Charles Gordon was besieged in Khartoum, and the city became the focal point for war. It was the height of European colonialism. Injustices were administered, bloody battles fought and civilians caught in the crossfire. Among the British officers were figures who would later adopt starring roles in the First World War, such as Egyptian Army sapper Captain Herbert Kitchener. By turns shocking and dynamic, Chain of Fire examines the terrible desert wars using the testimonies of the men who fought there.

Gripping ... an insightful account of the campaigns in northern Africa * Britain at War *
Praise for Footsloggers: 'An account whose universal truths about frontline soldiering will resonate with every generation * Military History Matters *
Powerful, vivid and haunting ... an emotional ride -- Andrew Mulholland, author of 'the Korean War: History in an Hour'
A historian and author at the peak of his powers -- Richard van Emden

Peter Hart was the oral historian at the Imperial War Museum for nearly 40 years. His books include Footsloggers, At Close Range and The Last Battle.