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Author: Ian Knight
After the Battle

This work is one of the most widley known military campaigns of the Victorian era. The story is presented through the "After the Battle" series "then and now" photographic theme and contains graphic eyewitness accounts from both sides which aim to convey what it was like to give battle in the 1870s. Additional chapters cover what remains to be seen today, both on the battlefields and in museums; the lonely and sometimes unmarked and forgotten graves of the participants; the British forts and their ruins; plus accounts of those film productions that have since been made of the 1879 war.

Author: Ian Knight

This is an account of one of the most dramatic episodes in 19th century military history, which continues to exert a unique fascination. On 22nd January 1879 the British military camp at Isandlwana, South Africa, was annihilated by about 20,000 Zulu warriors. Some 1200 troops died under the Zulu spears, half of them British regular infantry of the 24th Foot armed with modern breech-loading rifles. This battle was partly redeemed that evening at the tiny hospital and supply post of Rorke's Drift, successfully held in hand-to-hand fighting against thousands of Zulus by some 140 defenders, only 80 of them able-bodied redcoats. This book provides details of the fighting men of both armies and of their bloody meeting, drawing upon the author's local research, several examinations of the battlefield and aerial photographs.

Author: Ian Knight

The Zulu kingdom, created by Shaka kaSenzangakhona, lasted just over six decades before meeting the imperial might of the British Empire. Within six months the kingdom lay in pieces. A full military campaign, known as the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 was required to ensure its demise. The British High Commissioner in South Africa, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, believed that the robust and economically self-reliant Zulu kingdom was a threat to this policy. In December 1878 he picked a quarrel with the Zulu king, Cetshwayo kaMpande, in the belief that the Zulu army - armed primarily with shields and spears - would soon collapse in the face of British Imperial might. The war began in January 1879. Three columns of British troops under the command of Lt. Gen. Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand. Almost immediately, the war went badly wrong for the British. On 22 January, the Centre Column, under Lord Chelmsford's personal command, was defeated at Isandlwana mountain. In one of the worst disasters of the Colonial era, over 1300 British troops and their African allies were killed. In the aftermath of Isandlwana, the Zulu reserves mounted a raid on the British border post at Rorke's Drift, which was held by just 145 men. After ten hours of ferocious fighting, the Zulu were driven off. Eleven of the defenders of Rorke's Drift were awarded the Victoria Cross.These are the best-known episodes of the war, and Rorke's Drift inspired the classic film Zulu, which established Michael Caine as a star. However, the author delves deeply into the causes of the war, the conditions during it and the aftermath. Completely re-set, this is one of the most highly-regarded books on the period.

Author: Ian Knight

The Zulu kingdom established by King Shaka was robust and self-sufficient, but royal rivalries and newly arrived white colonialists made it a bloody period that shaped the face of modern Africa. This detailed depiction of day-to-day combat during nine of the most influential battles--from Thuleka in 1838 through the Civil War to the breaking of the royal house--pulses with excitement. All the courage and horror of hand-to-hand fighting and strategic genius come through on every page.

Author: Ian Knight

Forces of the independent Zulu kingdom inflicted a crushing defeat on British imperial forces at Isandlwana in January 1879. The Zulu army was not, however, a professional force, unlike its British counterpart, but was the mobilized manpower of the Zulu state. Knight details how the Zulu army functioned and ties its role firmly to the broader context of Zulu society and culture.

A good, more thorough, review on Amazon: The book covers the rise of Shaka and his military reforms during the 19th century, and describes how the army functioned and its broader role in Zulu culture. The book includes many excellent b/w photos, maps and diagrams showing tactics and maneuver. Detailed information is provided on Zulu recruitment and training, and life in the military amabutho, or regiments.

The interesting aspect provided by Knight is the telling of the British invasion through the Zulu perspective. I also like the information provided on all the various individual regiments. The book is a little light in describing the actual Zulu martial art.

In the back of the book is a short and not too comprehensive glossary of Zulu military terms, a list of Zulu regiments, a list of major campaigns, a list of senior Zulu commanders from 1818-79, and a good 4.5-page bibliography. If you are interested in Zulu, I highly recommend this book.

Author: Ian Knight and Ian Castle

The heroic defence of the mission station at Rorke's Drift became the epic action of the Anglo-Zulu War. A small garrison defended this valuable border-post for ten hours and in the process won the northern sector at Ntcombe Drift, Hlobane and Khambula. Essential reading for those who wish to learn the facts rather than the myths of this legendary stand.

Author: Ian Knight and Ian Castle

The British Army suffered its most severe defeat in Imperial history at the hands of the Zulu impies at Isandhlwana. The author's description of the events on that day brings to life the tragedy for the reader whether at home or on the ground.

Another review said this: The book is small, and covers only the lead up to this epic battle and the battle itself. No real mention of the subsequent Rorke's Drift battle or who escaped from the one only to fight in the other. I suspect this was saved for another book. Lots of low-qual pictures but they do convey the story fairly well. Not a bad book but a bit pricey for what you get.


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