Great Zulu Battles, 1838-1906 (Cassell Military Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Ian Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

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 much-deserved, 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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ian Knight is one of the leading authorities on South African history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Cassell (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0304353132
• ISBN-13: 978-0304353132
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,865,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to the Zulu Wars, March 29, 2000

By 

Mr I T Arthur (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Zulu Battles 1838-1906 (Hardcover)

A useful and informative introduction to the Zulu wars. Several major battles are covered in depth, and the general trends of the war explained. Overall tactics for the Zulu Nation are discussed in some length, however the same treatment is not given to the British side. The reader is left with the overall impression that the main tactic of the Zulu Nation was to field vastly superior numbers, and without this there was little chance of victory. There is a lack of detail on the weapons and equipment and dress used by each side which would have been an important and interesting addition

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Detailed descriptions, but ignores earlier wars., November 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Great Zulu Battles 1838-1906 (Hardcover)

An interesting and informative account of the Zulus' greatest battles is, unfortunately, not as comprehensive as it could have been. While Knight has, once again, done his homework (his accounts of the battles of Thukela and Blood River are vivid)there are some thrilling battles in earlier Zulu history which have been afforded little attention. For instance, the battle of kwaGqokli hill, which featured the young Shaka leading his men against the powerful Ndwandwe of Zwide kaLanga, lives in many an imagination as the first reckoning of the great Zulu empire. But while there are valid reasons not to include the aforementioned clash, the battle of izinDololwane hills, which saw Shaka, with the help of his white allies, shatter the powerful Ndwandwe kingdom once and for all, surely merits an inclusion. That aside, the book is typical of Knight: colourful, interesting, objective, factual.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview of Zulu Warfare, July 31, 2005

By 

Lawrence A. Strid (Mission Viejo, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Zulu Battles 1838-1906 (Hardcover)

Ian Knight is probably the preeminent authority on Zulu History, and this is a fascinating account of a series of 10 different battles that occurred over the course of 70 years, featuring Zulus against the Boers, Zulus against the British, and Zulus against Zulus. Probably the best known Zulu battle is Rorkes' Drift, but that incident really deserves its own book, and Knight and other authors have already done so (see Ian Knight's "Campaign Series 42, Rorkes' Drift 1879", for a good overview, but he also has done a more thorough analysis of that battle in another book). If you want a more detailed study of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 then there is no shortage of other good books to read, but in terms of the development and showcasing of Zulu warfare after Shaka and into the early 20th Century, then this is an excellent and exciting piece of work.