Vincent Eyre (1811–81) was an English officer in the East India Company from 1827 and took part in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42), which ended in disaster for the British. He would later become a major-general and a Knight Commander of the Star of India, but in this work Eyre lucidly describes his experiences as a lieutenant in the war, during which he was severely wounded. In addition to providing a wealth of military detail, he also includes an account of how he was captured with his family by Akbar Khan in January 1842 and held hostage for nearly nine months. Eyre kept a diary throughout, and the manuscript was smuggled to a friend in India prior to publication in England in 1843. This updated third edition offers insights into both military and personal misfortune.