Byron Farwell

Queen Victoria's Little Wars

"Tells all the old stories of imperial heroism con brio." —Noel Annan, New York Review of Books

From 1837 to 1901, in Asia, China, Canada, Africa, and elsewhere, military expedition were constantly being undertaken to protect resident Britons or British interests, to extend a frontier, to repel an attack, avenge an insult, or suppress a mutiny or rebellion. Continuous warfare became an accepted way of life in the Victorian era, and in the process the size of the British Empire quadrupled.

But engrossing as these small wars are—and they bristle with bizarre, tragic, and often humorous incident—it is the officers and men who fought them that dominate this book. With their courage, foolhardiness, and eccentricities, they are an unforgettable lot.

"Byron Farwell has had a field day with his rich and varied material. . . . His book can be warmly recommended." —Christopher Hibbert, Book World

"A well-researched, highly readable account. . . . The book is delightful and will be of value and interest to both the student of military history and of the Victorian Empire." —Library Journal