Empire (68th of 90) -- Battle of Obdurman [audio 15min]

The Battle of Omdurman started at first light on 2 September 1898. British, Egyptian and Sudanese troops under Sir Horatio Hebert Kitchener, later Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, defeated the Mahdist army that had ruled a large part of Egyptian Sudan since the Mahdi's rebellion in 1881. The army still talks of brigadier general Hector Macdonald, who ignored Kitchener's orders and saved the day. Kitchener trusted him to do both. If he had not? "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. ~Visit website to listen again to 5 most recent episodes, plus interactive maps and timeline, biographical dictionary, image galleries, listeners' comments, quizzes, sources and resources.