Nicholson: How an Angry Irishman became the Hero of Delhi

John Nicholson was born in Dublin and sent to India as a child-soldier at the age of 16. He fought in the first Anglo-Afghanistan war, the two Anglo-Sikh wars and the Great Mutiny, dying in the thick of battle as the British army he was leading stormed the ancient city of Delhi in September 1857. He was only 34 years of age when he died. His legacy and his legend as the ‘Hero of Delhi’, however, have far outlived him in ballads, poems, the works of Kipling and the Flashman series. This is his story. AUTHOR; Professor Donal McCracken is a Senior Professor of History and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Originally from Ireland, Donal McCracken has been an academic for over 30 years, with a research interest divided between environmental history, media history and the Irish diaspora. 41 b/w illustrations