Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Windrush is sent as an observer on a British-led Egyptian expedition to rescue the garrison of two Egyptian posts in Sudan. When the local warriors intervene, the British send an army. Jack and his regiment, the Royal Malverns, are heavily involved. Things become more complicated when Jack is ordered to hold a village deep in the desert as an escape route for General Gordon and the beleaguered garrison of Khartoum. The twelfth book in Malcolm Archibald's 'Jack Windrush' series of historical military novels, Baptism of the Sword is an action-packed historical adventure set in the period when Britain stretched her imperial muscle, despite the misgivings of some politicians and soldiers. It shows the bravery of the ordinary fighting men on both sides, as well as the futility of war.