Graphic Arts Collection (GAX) 2006-0006M
Sidney Shadbolt was a barrister of the Inner Temple, an organization of lawyers dating back to the 12th century (see: http://www.innertemple.org.uk/history). Besides this extensive historical and biographical study of the Second Afghan Campaign, Shadbolt is also responsible for publishing a study of the South African Campaign of 1879 or the Anglo-Zulu War (Annex A, Forrestal DT1875 .M3 1995)
140 oval woodburytype portraits were cut and pasted into the front of Shadbolt’s two volume set, with biographical details following. Also included are descriptions the two expeditions sent to Kabul, along with 6 maps and accounts taken from both official and private sources.
In a 1884 report on newly published books in Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, New Series, vol. 1 (1883-1884), p. 199, an unknown author writes, “The Afghan Campaigns of 1878-80 have furnished an interesting theme for Mr. Sidney H. Shadbolt, who has elaborated from official and private sources a sketch of the war, with maps illustrating the operations of the forces, a list of officers who fell in the campaigns and the recipients of the Victoria Cross, summaries of the movements in the field of the various regiments which were engaged, and separate records of every British officer employed in the war (2 vols. 4to, Low, 60s.).”
Many lives were lost during this campaign. “On July 27, 1880, Mohammad Ayub Khan decisively defeated a British force led by Brig. G.R.S Burrows at Maiwand, near Kandahar. Of the 2,476 British and Indian soldiers engaged in the fighting, 971 were killed in action and 168 wounded, in addition to 331 camp followers who were killed.”—Stephen Farrell “Kandahar More Than a Century Ago,” The New York Times, September 9, 2010.
