Reading a bit of history this week, I came across an amazing story. Very apt for a big budget movie adaptation in the genre of Lawrence of Arabia. It is the story of the half-dead Dr. William Brydon of the British East India Company who in 1842 was the sole survivor out of a party of 16,000 during the 140 km retreat east from Kabul to Jalalabad in the first Anglo-Afghan war. There is war, intrigue, history, tragedy, endurance and in the end there is survival.
Here is Dr. William Brydon's first person account from the archives of The Times newspaper dated 7th April 1842 of the happenings of that week in January. The randomness of survival in such circumstances is a striking feature of his matter-of-fact report. A painting by Elizabeth Butler - "The Remnants of an Army" furthered the legend of the event and that of Afghanistan in those times (below).
For the nearest cinematic experience of similar times and occurrences, watch "The Man Who Would Be King" which is based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling who surely must have been aware of this tale.
More Info:
1. http://www.theestimate.com/public/100501_dossier.html
2. http://afpakwar.com/blog/2009/09/16/pictures-of-war-can-carry-more-moral-meaning-than-thousands-of-words/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Brydon
4. http://www.britishbattles.com/first-afghan-war/kabul-gandamak.htm
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_%28film%29
2. http://afpakwar.com/blog/2009/09/16/pictures-of-war-can-carry-more-moral-meaning-than-thousands-of-words/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Brydon
4. http://www.britishbattles.com/first-afghan-war/kabul-gandamak.htm
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_%28film%29
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