This eBook edition of "The River War" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The River War is a historical book by Winston Churchill, concerning his experiences as a British Army officer, during the Mahdist War (1881–99) in the Sudan. The River War tells a story of the British imperial involvement in the Sudan, and the Mahdi War between the British forces, led by Lord Kitchener, and the Dervish forces, led by Khalifa Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, "The Mahdi", heir to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad who had embarked on a campaign to conquer Egypt, to drive out the Ottomans.