Khartoum, 1884-1885

Khartoum, 1884-1885: The Failed Mission of Charles Gordon and the Nile Relief Expedition examines the final phase of Charles Gordon’s career in the Sudan during the Mahdi’s revolution. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, including eyewitness accounts and unpublished archival material, the book provides a rigorous analysis of Gordon’s role in implementing British policy to evacuate Egyptian forces and his efforts to defend Khartoum during a protracted ten-month siege. It situates these events within the broader political, military, and social contexts of the late 19th-century Nile Valley.

This book delves into the critical role of intelligence, communication, and public opinion in shaping the events of the time. It offers a vivid portrayal of Gordon’s leadership under immense pressure, the political clashes and misunderstandings that undermined his mission, and the dramatic consequences of delayed British intervention. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of 19th-century imperial politics and the personal sacrifices of a man who became a national hero and martyr.

Ideal for students, historians, and general readers with an interest in the late 19th-century history of the Nile Valley, this book provides a compelling narrative of courage, leadership, and the human cost of political misjudgement. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the legacy of Charles Gordon and the enduring impact of his final mission.

Alice Moore Harell is an independent researcher, after retiring from teaching at the Department of Middle Eastern studies, Haifa University and the Department of Islam and Middle East, The Hebrew University Jerusalem. She has published several articles and book reviews on the Sudan and the Horn of Africa. She is the author of Gordon and the Sudan: Prologue to the Mahdiyya 1877-1880 (2001) and Egypt’s African Empire: Samuel Baker, Charles Gordon & the Creation of Equatoria (2010).