King of the Khyber Rifles

Captain Alan King, a freshly minted Sandhurst graduate and local-born military son, finds himself navigating the treacherous landscape of the Northwest Frontier. His fluency in Pashtun proves vital when he survives an ambush with the help of Ahmed, a deserter from the rebel forces led by the fanatic Karram Khan. However, prejudice rears its ugly head among his fellow officers upon discovering that King’s mother was a native Muslim, leading to ostracization and discrimination, particularly from Lieutenant Geoffrey Heath. Only half-Irish Lieutenant Ben Baird remains supportive amid the hostility.