One of the great untold stories of pre-colonial Africa at last receives a chronicle worthy of its significance. Revisit exotic Zululand, once the most powerful black state in Africa. It experienced only sixty years of independence, and during that time weathered more than other countries endure in centuries. See its rebellions by discontented subjects and ambitious princes, and the intrusions by traders, missionaries, and land-hungry settlers. View the seeds of its downfall in the invasion by the Dutch Voortrekkers, and its final destruction at the hands of the British -- who, at the height of their imperial power, required a full, six-month-long military campaign to bring the kingdom down. Finally, look towards the future, and the ways in which the kingdom lives on in the dreams of the new South Africa. Dozens of black-and-white photographs, as well as sketches, capture Zululand's undulating hillsides, its proud and self-assured people and artifacts, including ceremonial staffs, shields, woven baskets, and spears.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
South African historian Laband is a distinguished scholar of Zulu history whose work remains unknown in the U.S. outside specialist circles. That should change with the appearance of this book. Initially published in South Africa in 1995 as Rope of Sand, this is the finest analysis to date of the Zulu kingdom's origins and nature, its complex internal politics and the conflicts with Boer and Briton that finally laid it low. Without neglecting such cultural elements as the importance for the Zulu warrior of purification after battle, which frequently influenced the conduct of campaigns, Laband treats the Zulu polity in a historical rather than an anthropological context. He demonstrates that, at its height, the Zulu kingdom was the most politically sophisticated, administratively integrated and militarily effective polity, black or white, south of the Zambesi. Laband emphasizes the central political and ritual role of the king while establishing the cultural restraints on royal power and the constant challenges from royal relatives and other great chiefs. Not only Shaka but his successors, notably Mpande and Ctsehwayo, emerged as skillful politicians and sophisticated diplomats. Laband's perceptive analysis of the relationship between war and politics in the Zulu system shows that the Zulu kingdom neither decayed from within nor conquered itself to destruction. Instead, it was overthrown by a British Empire whose superiority in a specific aspect of warmaking--the application of firepower to the battlefield--proved too much for a pre-industrial society by no means at a dead end when it faced the Gatlings and Martinis at Ulundi. Illustrations.
Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Accurate; written in a brilliant and entertaining style.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Rise & Fall of the Zulu Nation (Hardcover)
There can be no doubt that, of all the books written on Zulu history, this is the kingpin of them all. It is doubtful that any author will exceed the work done here by Laband. The book is painstakingly written, with an incredible eye for detail, and it remains at all times entertaining and absorbing. There are also shortcomings, although these cannot be construed as downfalls. The most striking is that while Professor Laband is the ultimate expert on the reign of Dingane and beyond, he does not dedicate nearly as much attention to the early years of the Zulu kingdom, particularly from 1787 to 1828. This is regrettable, but understandable considering that there is so much that remains unknown and mired in mythology with respect to Shaka's era. Lastly, Laband's attention to detail, particularly noticeable in the Notes section and in the index, makes this a book no self-respecting Zulu scholar can be without.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
FOR THOSE INTO S. AFRICAN Hx only,
This review is from: The Rise & Fall of the Zulu Nation (Hardcover)
If you are not well versed in 19th century South African Hx, try another volume. But if you are, an excellent but detailed book. The names of the leaders are difficult to follow, not due to the author's lack of trying.
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