Voices from the Zulu War

Voices from the Zulu War
Author: Ian Kinght
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2011-03-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473820332

The 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 mobilised manpower of the Zulu state. In this ground-breaking study, Ian Knight details just how the Zulu army functioned and ties its role firmly to the broader context of Zulu society and culture. After surveying the Zulu army from its creation during the wars of Shaka in the early nineteenth century, and the subsequent development of Zulu fighting methods, Ian Knight focuses in detail on the structure and condition of the Zulu army on the eve of the war in 1879. This indispensable book describes such key topics as enlistment, organisation, training and equipment. He also considers Zulu war aims and strategy, their view of artillery and cavalry, and how they were perceived by their colonial neighbours. Most of all, he reveals how the Zulu army functioned in wartime, from preparatory rituals to battlefield tactics, and the shock of battle itself.

The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, 1815–1828

The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, 1815–1828
Author: Elizabeth A. Eldredge
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2014-10-30
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1107075327

This scholarly account traces the emergence of the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa in the early nineteenth century, under the rule of the ambitious and iconic King Shaka. In contrast to recent literary analyses of myths of Shaka, this book uses the richness of Zulu oral traditions and a comprehensive body of written sources to provide a compelling narrative and analysis of the events and people of the era of Shaka's rule. The oral traditions portray Shaka as rewarding courage and loyalty and punishing failure; as ordering the targeted killing of his own subjects, both warriors and civilians, to ensure compliance to his rule; and as arrogant and shrewd, but kind to the poor and mentally disabled. The rich and diverse oral traditions, transmitted from generation to generation, reveal the important roles and fates of men and women, royal and subject, from the perspectives of those who experienced Shaka's rule and the dramatic emergence of the Zulu Kingdom.

Zulu Rising

Zulu Rising
Author: Ian Knight
Publisher: Pan
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011
Genre: Isandlwana, Battle of, South Africa, 1879
ISBN: 9780330445931

The battle of iSandlwana was the single most destructive incident in the 150-year history of the British colonization of South Africa. This title shows that the brutality of the battle was the result of an inevitable clash between two aggressive warrior traditions.

Zulu Dog

Zulu Dog
Author: Anton Ferreira
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2002-09-26
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0374392234

Publisher Description

The Assassination of King Shaka

The Assassination of King Shaka
Author: John Laband
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2017-08-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1868428087

In this riveting new book, John Laband, pre-eminent historian of the Zulu Kingdom, tackles some of the questions that swirl around the assassination in 1828 of King Shaka, the celebrated founder of the Zulu Kingdom and war leader of legendary brilliance: Why did prominent members of the royal house conspire to kill him? Just how significant a part did the white hunter-traders settled at Port Natal play in their royal patron's downfall? Why were Shaka's relations with the British Cape Colony key to his survival? And why did the powerful army he had created acquiesce so tamely in the usurpation of the throne by Dingane, his half-brother and assassin? In his search for answers Laband turns to the Zulu voice heard through recorded oral testimony and praise-poems, and to the written accounts and reminiscences of the Port Natal trader-hunters and the despatches of Cape officials. In the course of probing and assessing this evidence the author vividly brings the early Zulu kingdom and its inhabitants to life. He throws light on this elusive character of and his own unpredictable intentions, while illuminating the fears and ambitions of those attempting to prosper and survive in his hazardous kingdom: a kingdom that nevertheless endured in all its essential characteristics, particularly militarily, until its destruction fifty one years later in 1879 by the British; and whose fate, legend has it, Shaka predicted with his dying breath.

Custer and the Sioux, Durnford and the Zulus

Custer and the Sioux, Durnford and the Zulus
Author: Paul Williams
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 219
Release: 2015-09-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0786497947

In June 1876 the 7th U.S. Cavalry was savagely defeated at the Little Bighorn in the Montana wilderness during an attempt to seize Sioux and Cheyenne hunting grounds. Three years later redcoats mirrored this utter disaster with an equally high-handed grab for Zulu lands in South Africa. Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and Lieutenant Colonel Anthony W. Durnford had much in common, from modes of dress to the way they died. This book interweaves the stories of the two soldiers and their final battles, revealing how, to an astonishing degree, similar personalities, aims, tactics, weapons, stupidity and a gross underestimation of the powers of the native people led to calamitous defeat.

Isandlwana

Isandlwana
Author: Ian Knight
Publisher: Leo Cooper Books
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2000
Genre: History
ISBN:

The authors' description of the events on the fateful day - 2 January 1879 - brings to life the shocking defeat of the British Army at the hands of the Zulus. The blunders and omissions that resulted in the loss of so many lives are exposed.

Kingdom in Crisis

Kingdom in Crisis
Author: John Laband
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 296
Release: 1992
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 9780719035821

Battle of Britain The Movie

Battle of Britain The Movie
Author: Dilip Sarkar
Publisher: Air World
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2023-06-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1399014781

Released in 1969, the film Battle of Britain went on to become one of the most iconic war movies ever produced. The film drew many respected British actors to accept roles as key figures of the battle, including Sir Laurence Olivier as Hugh Dowding and Trevor Howard as Keith Park. It also starred Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer and Robert Shaw as squadron leaders. As well as its large all-star international cast, the film was notable for its spectacular flying sequences which were on a far grander scale than anything that had been seen on film before. At the time of its release, Battle of Britain was singled out for its efforts to portray the events of the summer of 1940 in great accuracy. To achieve this, Battle of Britain veterans such as Group Captain Tom Gleave, Wing Commander Robert Stanford Tuck, Wing Commander Douglas Bader, Squadron Leader Bolesław Drobiński and Luftwaffe General Adolf Galland were all involved as consultants. This detailed description of the making of the film is supported by a mouth-watering selection of pictures that were taken during the production stages. The images cover not only the many vintage aircraft used in the film, but also the airfields, the actors, and even the merchandise which accompanied the film’s release in 1969 – plus a whole lot more. There are numerous air-to-air shots of the Spitfires, Messerschmitts, Hurricanes and Heinkels that were brought together for the film. There are also images that capture the moment that Battle of Britain veterans, some of whom were acting as consultants, visited the sets. Interviews with people who worked on the film, such as Hamish Mahaddie, John Blake and Ron Goodwin, among others, bring the story to life.

Brutal Valour

Brutal Valour
Author: James Mace
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-08-02
Genre: Isandlwana, Battle of, South Africa, 1879
ISBN: 9781530989713

It is December 1878 and war looms on the horizon in South Africa. British High Commissioner Sir Henry Bartle-Frere and Lt. General Frederic Augustus Thesiger, Baron Chelmsford seek to dismantle the powerful neighbouring kingdom of the Zulus. He and Frere are convinced that a quick victory over the Zulus will negate any repercussions from the home government for launching what is, in essence, an illegal war. Using an incursion along the disputed border as justification for war, Frere issues an ultimatum to the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, demanding he disband his armies and pay reparations. The king prepares his nation for war against their former allies. Recently arrived to South Africa are newly-recruited Privates Arthur Wilkinson and Richard Lowe; members of C Company, 1/24th Regiment of Foot. Eager for adventure, they are prepared to do their duty both for the Empire and for their friends. As Frere's ultimatum expires, the army of British redcoats and allied African auxiliaries crosses the uMzinyathi River into Zululand. Ten days later, the British and Zulus will meet their destiny at the base of a mountain called Isandlwana.