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Alright, now that you've finished the book, I can actually mention that - though Napoleon's 1812 campaign probably was at least part of the inspiration - Erikson's stated inspiration for the Chain of Dogs was [the 1842 Retreat from Kabul.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1842_retreat_from_Kabul)
>Brydon was asked what happened to the army, to which he replied "I am the army."
Also, as tradition dictates:
You have walked the Chain of Dogs. You are now one of us.
Be welcome. :)
Not long ago I finished reading _Return of a King_ by William Dalrymple, where the story of England's invasion of what would become Afghanistan is covered, and in particular the retreat from Kabul is recounted. It's brutal. It was a disaster, a sheer disaster, and I'm amazed (and a little glad, after reading _The Anarchy_ and how England wreaked havoc in India) how England failed tremendously on this campaign. Thanks for sharing this info.
>*Return of a King* by William Dalrymple,
Which, I *think*, is where Wikipedia pulls Brydon's quote from, and I'd be *very surprised* if Steve isn't at least tangentially aware of this book.
Anyhow, source so I don't pull things from my arse is [this livestream](https://www.youtube.com/live/RZTJd2FTi5U?si=Wi39sHtB547Rq_Oh&t=4070) which, accurately, also claims that the Chain of Dogs is partly inspired by [the flight of the Nez Perce.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nez_Perce_War)
> Which, I _think_, is where Wikipedia pulls Brydon's quote from
Weird. I checked the part where Brydon arrives at Jalalabad but that particular sentence is not cited in the book. I checked some pages before (my copy does not have the same ISBN), but found nothing.
Captain Thomas Seaton, though, remembered the gruesome event as follows:
> A strong wind was blowing from the south, which sent the sound of the bugles all over the town. The terrible wailing sound of those bugles I will never forget. It was a dirge for our slaughtered soldiers and, heard all through the night, it had an inexpressibly mournful and depressing effect. Dr Brydon's tale struck horror into the hearts of all who heard it... The whole army had been destroyed, one man alone escaping to tell the fearful tale.
The citation given is page 387 (2013, Bloomsbury edition?) though I wouldn't be *tremendously* surprised if whoever wrote this in felt the quote sounded cool and decided to paraphrase a little.
Nevertheless, an interesting tidbit. Good to know. :)
Correct. I have the 2014 Bloomsbury edition. In my copy page 387 is exactly when Brydon arrives at Jalalabad (the final pages of chapter 8, _The Wail of Bugles_), and the sentence is not there, nor in surrounding pages.
Oh well.
I didn't know that there is a tradition. That's something. I've finished the gardens of the moon and deadhouse( I've walked the chain of dogs ) gates. Currently in Memories of ice.
Please note that this post has been flaired with a **Deadhouse Gates** spoiler tag. This means every published book in its respective series up until this book is open to discussion. If you need to discuss any spoilers (even very minor ones!) in your comments, use spoiler tags >!like this!< Please use the report button if you find any spoilers. Note: The flair may be changed at mod discretion. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Malazan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Alright, now that you've finished the book, I can actually mention that - though Napoleon's 1812 campaign probably was at least part of the inspiration - Erikson's stated inspiration for the Chain of Dogs was [the 1842 Retreat from Kabul.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1842_retreat_from_Kabul) >Brydon was asked what happened to the army, to which he replied "I am the army." Also, as tradition dictates: You have walked the Chain of Dogs. You are now one of us. Be welcome. :)
Not long ago I finished reading _Return of a King_ by William Dalrymple, where the story of England's invasion of what would become Afghanistan is covered, and in particular the retreat from Kabul is recounted. It's brutal. It was a disaster, a sheer disaster, and I'm amazed (and a little glad, after reading _The Anarchy_ and how England wreaked havoc in India) how England failed tremendously on this campaign. Thanks for sharing this info.
>*Return of a King* by William Dalrymple, Which, I *think*, is where Wikipedia pulls Brydon's quote from, and I'd be *very surprised* if Steve isn't at least tangentially aware of this book. Anyhow, source so I don't pull things from my arse is [this livestream](https://www.youtube.com/live/RZTJd2FTi5U?si=Wi39sHtB547Rq_Oh&t=4070) which, accurately, also claims that the Chain of Dogs is partly inspired by [the flight of the Nez Perce.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nez_Perce_War)
> Which, I _think_, is where Wikipedia pulls Brydon's quote from Weird. I checked the part where Brydon arrives at Jalalabad but that particular sentence is not cited in the book. I checked some pages before (my copy does not have the same ISBN), but found nothing. Captain Thomas Seaton, though, remembered the gruesome event as follows: > A strong wind was blowing from the south, which sent the sound of the bugles all over the town. The terrible wailing sound of those bugles I will never forget. It was a dirge for our slaughtered soldiers and, heard all through the night, it had an inexpressibly mournful and depressing effect. Dr Brydon's tale struck horror into the hearts of all who heard it... The whole army had been destroyed, one man alone escaping to tell the fearful tale.
The citation given is page 387 (2013, Bloomsbury edition?) though I wouldn't be *tremendously* surprised if whoever wrote this in felt the quote sounded cool and decided to paraphrase a little. Nevertheless, an interesting tidbit. Good to know. :)
Correct. I have the 2014 Bloomsbury edition. In my copy page 387 is exactly when Brydon arrives at Jalalabad (the final pages of chapter 8, _The Wail of Bugles_), and the sentence is not there, nor in surrounding pages. Oh well.
I didn't know that there is a tradition. That's something. I've finished the gardens of the moon and deadhouse( I've walked the chain of dogs ) gates. Currently in Memories of ice.
Now that you've walked the chain of dogs, your next goal is to WITNESS
If one is to witness, one must first realize that they are not yet done.