#TheSwarajSpy by Vijay Balan is an exciting historical spy thriller narrating the true story of the Indian freedom struggle, told through Kumar Nair, sent on a rescue mission as a spy. Out now, get your copy from amzn.to/3Ttd555 or from a bookstore nearby.

I wrote about one of the East India Company's two occupations of Kharg Island in my book Return of a King. The Company actually occupied Kharg twice: once from 1838-1842, on the orders of Lord Auckland (shown below) when they eventually withdrew in confusion after the disasterous Retreat from Kabul. Then the Company occupied Kharg for a second time from 1856-7. This time they pulled out again, due the outbreak of the Great Uprising of 1857, and the Highland regiments who had occupied it under Sir Jamew Outram were rushed eastwards to break the Siege of Lucknow. On both occasions, occupying Kharg seemed like a good idea at the time, but proved a strategic dead-end. It showed that the Company could project power into the heart of the Persian Gulf at will, but it also highlighted their inability to translate naval dominance into lasting political stability in the region. Shame our current leaders seem unable to learn the lessons of history...