Only an Ensign: A Tale of the Retreat from Cabul, Volume 1 (of 3)

The narrative alternates between genteel domestic life on the Cornish coast and violent service in Afghanistan, tracing a young officer's strained relations with an aristocratic uncle, questions of honor and marriage, and the dangers of military retreat. Episodes of battlefield heroism and narrow escapes, some drawn from recorded incidents such as a soldier using a regimental colour to survive, are woven with family drama, legal and social humiliation, and personal reckonings. The work blends historical reportage of a catastrophic withdrawal with fictionalized adventures to examine duty, social standing, and the personal costs of war.