The dramatic story of the siege of Khartoum and Britain’s extraordinarily violent 1882 campaign in Egypt and Sudan.

In the 1880s, British control over northeastern Africa was a political minefield that Prime Minister William Gladstone wished to avoid—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 were often caught in the crossfire. Among the famed British officers involved were figures who would later adopt starring roles in World War I, such as Egyptian Army officer 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.