At war with the Dervishes

RELAXING in my study the other day, I casually took down from the shelves a book of reportage from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

All kinds of eminent journalists were represented there. At a time when print was supreme, they filed their despatches from far and wide to become the media celebrities of their day, recording the first draft of history with style.

Among them was the young Winston Churchill, describing his experiences in the Sudan, where he took part in the British Army's last cavalry charge. His words sparked an image of the Battle of Omdurman, where British soldiers were in action against the Dervishes.

This picture is the result, painted with half an eye on the possibility that it could be used for a stained glass panel.

It is called The Battle of Omdurman.