Customer Reviews

The Zulus (Elite)

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Prior to reading this book, my knowledge of the Zulus was restricted to what I had seen in movies like, "Shaka" and "Zulu Dawn." This book provided an excellent overview of the Zulu Empire, it's key players, it's army and it's wars from the dawn to the twilight of the Zulu empire. The book focused mainly on martial matters and spent little time with subjects other than war. Of course, the reader must remember that the Zulus were a warrior culture. The description of the Zulu army, training, equipment and tactics were superb. There were plenty of photographs and the color plates were amazing. If you're looking for a detailed work on the Zulu culture, this book would not be enough. However, if you want a solid introduction to the Zulu war machine, than this book is for you.

This book covers an amazing people, the Zulus, who defeated a British Army at a time when the Empire was all-powerful. The Zulus did so with superior tactics, though their weapons had not changed and remained primitive. Nevertheless the stabbing spear of the Zulus accounted for the lives of many British soldiers. There are also good accounts of battles such as Isdhlawana and of Rorke's Drift.The author obviously has written a sympathetic account of the Zulus and their are shown as a militarly organized people, not a band of savages as Africans were often portrayed in the West. The illustrations are beautiful and the Zulus come out as a majestic people. It is clear that this book is written by someone who knows a lot about the subject.

In the nineteenth century, Britain had established a massive empire upon which the sun was said to never set. On a January day in 1879, a South African people called the Zulus were to establish a nearly mythic reputation by killing hundreds of British soldiers and their tribal allies at Isandlwana (ironically a lot of the slaughter took place under a partial solar eclipse). Ian Knight, a noted expert on South Africa's military past writes a short but very useful book on this famous people from the bloody rise of Shaka through the conflicts with Boers to the twilight under British guns. The late Angus Mcbride provides plates to illustrate the appearance of Zulus at various times in their history. Overall, very interesting for those who want an overview of the subject. I would also recommend Knight's Osprey Campaign series book on Isandlwana.