It was one of the great, true adventures of the 19th century. A British Army corps made a daring dash up the Nile in 1884-85 to rescue General Gordon of Khartoum in that besieged city. Hastily assembled but determined on their goal, the force fought time, the legendary Nile cataracts (rapids), punishing heat, sandstorms, and Arab tribesmen. This memoir by one of the participants in command, Colonel Charles W. Wilson, is one of the most thrilling,...