In this book you will read a true story about a British rescue expedition that took place in 1867 Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). This is a very interesting story told from a Special Correspondent for the Standard Newspaper in 1868. He accompanied the army from Annesley Bay to Magdala were they faced the ruthless tribal chief Theodore II who claimed to be the Emperor. Theodore requested both military and logistic help from Queen Victoria against the tribal enemies to secure his claim. Britain had enough trouble during this time and did not want to be involved in the quack mires in Africa and did not respond to the letter from Theodore. Some advisors thought it was best not to inform the Queen of this matter because THEY DECIDED it was not in the greatest interest for Britain. Fuming, because he did not get his way, Theodore took hostages and threatened to kill everyone, including the negotiator! Now he had finally captured Britain's attention! They woke up and realized his threats were real, even the counselor who kept the dispatch complained about Theodore's behavior. Expedition corps were sent from Bombay to East Africa to free the shackled hostages. Most of this story tells about the hardships the soldiers experienced in the unforgiving Abyssinian terrain. The 400 mile ordeal was a logistical nightmare during which the British merged triumphant over the rough terrain. This major enterprise had more than 20,000 people and 40,000 animals in a period of six months and cost the taxpayer £9 million! Ending lucky for Britain, it did not end so well for the native prisoners; more than 350 lost their lives. The one-sided skirmish lasted only a few hours and the campaign was over. After the lost battle Theodore ended his life. With accurate portrayal of the country through which this expedition took place, this narration is a brilliant, in depth account of the resolve and stamina of the British Army and displays its shortcomings and weaknesses. This story was published so this essential part of our history would not be forgotten. Let this book take you on an adventure back in time to relive this incredible journey in history.
About the Author: About the Scribe, Born in the middle of the last century in Berlin, Germany, Klaus Schwanitz received a solid education in business. He worked independently as an entrepreneur and general manager for several large companies. In the 1980's he worked in the field of Data processing centers with security equipment that fought against terrorism and dealt with preventing catastrophic events. A quarter of a century ago he moved with his wife and child to Pennsylvania to introduce advanced European security ideas and products to the United States market. Today he lives on the East Coast of Florida and since 1995 he has worked as an entrepreneur in the computer industry. Nevertheless, he still has enough time to let his imagination run free as he pursues his passion of writing. He started with some novels until he decided to focus more on serious matters of importance-like our history. This history buff revives old historical books, documentations, and accounts by bringing the almost lost and forgotten past back to life! With over forty books and many short stories there is sure to be something entertaining for you to find in his collection of writings. Should we not learn from the past to make our future better?