Anglo Zulu War Books
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NEW BOOK RELEASES
Below you will find a selection of book reviews. You can also go to www.azwrs.com for reviews of nearly every book concerning the Anglo Zulu War published in the last fifteen years.
New Book on 'Zuluness'
John Laband- together with Benedict Carton and Jabulani Sithole - is the editor of a major new study of what it means to be a Zulu - Zulu Identities; Being Zulu, Past and Present, just published by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press. At over 600 pages it is a meaty look at the diverse and often contentious issue of what it has meant to be a Zulu from the time of King Shaka to today.
It takes the form of a series of essays written by leading academic historians - including John Laband, Jeff Guy and Ian Knight, who has contributed a paper of the reaction of the Zulu kingdom to the British invasion of 1879 - which ask whether a common sense of Zulu indentity really emerged during the nineteenth-century, the subsequent impact of colonialism upon that, and the political struggle to mobilise and control a sense of Zulu tradition and heritage which accompanied the collapse of apartheid. Along the way the authors consider a wide range of issues which have impacted on the sense of 'Zuluness', from the manipulated images of the kings Shaka and Dingane to attempts by white missionaries to interpret Zulu religious belief in accordance with Christian doctrine, the ideological struggles of the black middle class in the early twentieth-century to reconcile their Western attitudes with their heritage, the role of popular song, and the future of Zulu tradition in the face of AIDS.
At a thumping £75 in the hardback edition - a £25 paperback is in the offing - this is perhaps not a book best suited to those primarily interested in the minutiae of Isandlwana or Rorke's Drift for there is as much here on Inkatha as King Cetshwayo, but it is likely to be seen as a definitive study of the Zulu people at a crucial stage of their history.
Henry Charles Harford
‘The Beetle Collector’
Hero of the Zulu War, Soldier and Entomologist.
By Dr David Payne and Emma Payne. Edited by Dr Adrian Greaves FRGS
“Henry Charles Harford was my friend”
David Rattray FRGS
Entomologist and noted Zulu War Lecturer
The Royal Geographical Society
London 2006
Henry Charles Harford was an entomologist and a vibrant personality of the Anglo Zulu War. Harford had always fascinated David Rattray, the world famous lecturer on the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and himself a qualified entomologist. David gave countless world-wide presentations and always wove the story of ‘Charlie Harford the beetle collector’ into his enthralling lectures. David was especially excited when the new material was discovered and he was delighted to hold and present Harford’s medal to his audience during his final Royal Geographical Society lecture in London - just four months before his untimely death.
With 151 new pictures, photographs and sketches
Publication date 9th May 2008
© The Ultimatum Tree Limited
Resumé
Much is known about Henry Charles Harford because he came from an eminent family linked through marriage to the Scott family (Captain Robert Falcon Scott – Scott of the Antarctic - was Harford’s cousin). Charlie Harford, as he was known, played a significant role in the Anglo Zulu War of I879 and as a Lieutenant attached to the Colonial Natal Native Contingent from the 99th (Wiltshire) Regiment, he led the first attack against the Zulus under the watchful eye of the British Commander, Lord Chelmsford. Even in this early engagement, Harford earned the respect and admiration of his fellow officers for his calm bravery but did cause some confusion in the heat of battle by pausing to collect a rare beetle. Harford was well known to his colleagues for his intense interest in nature, especially of beetles, butterflies and moths, an interest which matched his enthusiasm for military life.
Harford participated in a number of important actions during the Zulu War and was at Rorke’s Drift until the invasion of Zululand. He led the first attack against the local Zulu Chief Sihayo and accompanied Lord Chelmsford on his ill-fated reconnaissance which left the main British camp at Isandlwana unprepared for a full Zulu attack the following day. He witnessed the result of the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and went on to see the aftermath at Rorke’s Drift; he then supervised
the disbandment of the Natal Native Contingent. At the same time his senior officer, Commandant Lonsdale, gave Harford custody of two officer deserters, Lieutenants Higginson and Stephenson; both officers had abandoned their men in action against the Zulus and the situation caused Harford some perplexing moments.
Following the Zulu defeat on the 4th July 1879 Harford was part of the force that searched for King Cetshwayo and he was personally given the custody of King Cetshwayo
following his capture until the king was imprisoned at Cape Town.
Harford was lucky to have survived to old age, he eventually died at the age of 86. He was born in India where he immediately developed fever and was given into the care of an Indian family as he was not expected to survive. He was subsequently returned to his parents fit and well only to fall out of an upper window and impale himself on railings – and he was not yet two years old. Again, he was expected to die of his injuries but he survived and recovered.
His childhood was spent largely hunting and shooting, both in England and then in Natal, and his written accounts are both illuminating and exciting. Harford possessed a wonderful sense of humour which shines through his writings. His accounts of fishing and hunting trips in the then unmapped areas of Natal in South Africa make wonderful reading, as do the escapades and pranks which were a feature of his life. Throughout his writings, he expresses his love of nature and wildlife yet at the same time he begins to note the way of life of the native population he mixed with. His childhood friends included such notables as Cecil Rhodes, Spencer Drake (descendent of Sir Francis Drake), Bishop Colenso’s children and John Dunn, as well as numerous army officers, and so he was drawn to an army career at an early age. As a youth he learned to speak fluent Zulu and when in his twenties, as the Adjutant of his regiment then serving in England, he was well aware of the looming war in Zululand. He offered his services to the War Office, services which were promptly accepted and he soon found himself back in Natal.
After service in Zululand, Harford remained in the British army and served variously in the UK, Bahamas and India. He retained his interest in collecting rare specimens and he meticulously recorded these and sent the best exhibits to the Museum of Natural History in Durban. A number of rare items were also presented to the British Museum in London (then latterly to the Natural History Museum). Being a dedicated officer, he married late in life but soon lost his wife to fever in India. He was left with an infant daughter and never re-married.
This book is the result of two years of reading, deciphering, transcribing and careful compilation of Harford’s journals, diaries, numerous manuscripts, sketches and photographs. These documents give a remarkable insight into the life and times of a Victorian gentleman who specialised in the study of the natural world. He was also a successful and dedicated army
officer and a devoted family man.
Book Orders.
The book is limited to 1,250 copies only.
Hard Cover - £66 plus p&p
Postal rates are; UK £12 Europe £20 Worldwide beyond Europe £30.
Copies can be ordered via the Society at no extra cost or by contacting the publishers:
The Ultimatum Tree Ltd.,
121 Marina heights
Limehouse
LONDON E14 7JB.
'
WHO'S WHO IN THE ZULU WAR, Vols 1 & 2' by Ian Knight and Adrian Greaves, published by Pen and Sword Books.
The idea behind the 'Who's Who in the Zulu War' is to provide basic biographical information on prominant people who were involved in the Anglo-Zulu campaign. So often, reading standard histories, the reader is left to ponder 'what was his background? What became of him?'; these books are an attempt to answer some of those questions, and to put military activity in 1879 within the context of individual lives. Volume One covers British troops, including the senior British commanders, VC winners, and others who played a significant or controversial role in the war; Volume Two covers Colonial and Zulu participation. The latter includes powerful political figures like the Shepstones and Colensos, but also less well-known people whose lives form part of the threads of the war, including James Rorke, Otto Witt, George Hamilton Browne and George Mossop. A number of Zulu personalities are considered, ranging from King Cetshwayo and his senior commanders to men like Mkhosana Biyela or Sitshishili kaMnqandi, for whom biographical information is not available elsewhere.
Sister Janet - Nurse & Heroine of the Anglo Zulu War of 1879
Brian Best & Katie Stossel, edited by Adrian Greaves
£17.99 from www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Her place in History.
The ‘Maintenance of Morale’ is one of the Principles of War taught to all young officer cadets passing through the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. The principles are not new to the profession of arms, indeed they were reflected in the writings of that ‘mysterious Chinese warrior-philosopher’ Sun Tzu, well over two thousand years ago. They were later extolled in the Military Maxims of Napoleon.
In my experience, as a recent soldier, a significant factor that affects the morale of young men, going into battle, is that medical orderlies and nursing care will be available if they are wounded. They fear death but they fear the agony of wounding even more. They want reassurance that stretcher bearers will be there to recover them from the battlefield. They then like to know that nursing care, with all that now means, will be close at hand, someone like Sister Janet Wells for example, to administer ‘Tender Loving Care’.
Such expectancy is comparatively recent. Before the Crimean War, battlefield nursing care was non existent. It was only in the late 1800s that the Red Cross and Florence Nightingale, in particular, introduced the disciplines of nursing care to the modern battlefield. The strict training of ‘dedicated, unattached women’ as nurses in hospitals, close behind the ‘front line’, gradually became commonplace and was well accepted by 1914 when the First World War started.
There can be little doubt that one of the ‘key players’ in influencing, by example, this battlefield medical revolution, was Sister Janet. Everyone knows about the important exploits of Florence Nightingale but I suspect few know the name of Janet Wells. Clearly, these facts about her life have been crying out for an author, and now they have one.
Lieutenant General Sir Michael Grey KCB OBE DL
Late, Colonel Commandant The Parachute Regiment
January 2006.
From David Rattray
The Anglo Zulu War of 1879 caused many British soldiers and Zulu warriors terrible wounds, and disease was rife. Hospital care was in its infancy, especially in the British army, and so it is remarkable that in the midst of this terrible war a nineteen-year-old English nurse, Sister Janet Wells, was sent from London to take charge of the isolated and overcrowded British army hospital at Utrecht in South Africa. Already a decorated veteran of the 1878 Balkan War, she was highly experienced in treating war wounds. In her first two months at Utrecht she treated over 3,200 patients, both British soldiers and Zulus, many from the battles of Hlobane, Khambula and Ulundi.
She performed numerous operations, tended the sick and wounded, and brought an air of discipline, tempered by her charm and femininity, into a chaotic and desperate situation. Towards the end of the war she was sent to Rorke’s Drift where she administered to the remaining garrison. She walked the battlefields of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana where she collected flowers for her scrapbooks – already containing many sketches and photographs, which survive to this day.
After the war she returned to her home and family in London, just in time for her twentieth birthday. Recognition by Queen Victoria followed, who decorated her with the Royal Red Cross, which was then the nursing equivalent of the Victoria Cross. The previous recipient was Florence Nightingale.
Hers is an astonishing story, of bravery and determination, which I commend to everyone who loves an adventure; it will especially fascinate students of the Anglo Zulu War – to whom this factual account will come, I am sure, as something of a surprise.
David Rattray
Zululand
South Africa
December 2005
Crossing The Buffalo
The Zulu War of 1879
Adrian Greaves
£20 - Available from :
Littlehampton Book Services
PO Box 4264
Durrington
Worthing
W Sussex BN13 3TG
For Credit Card Orders Tel :
Crossing the Buffalo: - ISBN 0-297-8470-7
Over 2,500 copies have been ordered prior to the book's release date in May.
The Anglo-Zulu War was one of the most dramatic chapters in British colonial history. It began with a simple border dispute between the Boers and the Zulus. The British, who were supposed to be acting as impartial referees, were in fact looking for an excuse to invade. In January 1879, after engineering a series of grievances against their Zulu neighbours, the British Army finally crossed over the Buffalo River into Zululand. It was an open act of war.
What happened next would rock the very foundations of the Empire. Within just a few days a force of 25,000 Zulu warriors had over-whelmed the main invading force at Isandlwana, slaughtering and ritually disembowelling more than 1,200 British troops. It was the worst defeat a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men without guns. A few hours later a handful of soldiers at Rorke's Drift held off a force of several thousand Zulus and won a record 11 Victoria Crosses. The next six months were studded with similar stories of heroism and ruthlessness on both sides, until the British finally marched on the Zulu capital of Ulundi. The butchery that followed would mark the end of the Zulu nation, and plunge the entire region into chaos and famine for years to come.
In this impressive book, Adrian Greaves describes the entire history of the war, from its background in the disputes between the Boers and Zulus decades earlier to the somber aftermath and the break-up of Zululand. Comprehensive, broad in scope, and filled with original and up-to-date research, this is a book that is set to replace all standard works on the subject.
Redcoats & ZulusADRIAN GREAVES
Price: £19.99 is available at all good book shops or direct from Pen & Sword, Freepost SF5, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S Yorkshire, S70 2BR
Tel:
Fax: 01226 734438
E-mail: sales@pen-sword.demon.co.uk
Web: http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
By Andrew Smith FRGS FCIJ
Read this book if you've seen the 1964 film Zulu and think you already know all about the Zulu War!
When Lord Chelmsford, Britain's commander in chief in South Africa, led British forces into the independent kingdom of Zululand in January 1879, he did so against the wishes of the government back home in England, and in spite of longstanding friendly relations between the Zulu nation and the British settlers in neighbouring Natal Colony. Under-estimating his enemy's military skills, and anticipating a quick and easily winnable war, Chelmsford was in for a huge surprise. Within days of crossing from Natal into Zululand, over 1,000 of his troops had been wiped out at Isandlwana. It was the greatest disaster ever to befall Queen Victoria's army.
Thanks in large measure to the impact of Hollywood movies such as Zulu and Zulu Dawn, the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 is perhaps the best known of all the Victorian 'little wars'. But how much do we really know about this conflict? Published to mark the 125h anniversary of the war, Redcoats and Zulus brings the events of 1879 to life. It looks at the causes of the war, how the opposing sides shaped up to one another - their strategy and tactics, their weapons and uniforms, and the many individual acts of heroism. We read of the Zulu warriors' reliance on drugs and witch-doctors to get them in the right frame of mind for battle, and in contrast the British officers who brought their cricket bats and hunting kit to South Africa in anticipation of slightly less dangerous activities!
The book also details how African native troops, and so-called Blue Jackets from the Naval Brigade, played significant roles in the Anglo-Zulu War, alongside the Redcoats of the British Army. Campaign life for Chelmsford's troops is described: enduring sweltering daytime heat and cold torrential rain at night, having to march, fight and sleep in the same generally unsuitable uniforms (no change of clothes for months!) and risking any or all of a diverse range of diseases and medical conditions, from malaria, dysentery and tuberculosis to sun-stroke and snake bites.
Army discipline was harsh, and during this campaign over 500 British soldiers were flogged - a punishment toll that caused such an uproar back in England that corporal punishment in the army was thereafter banned.
Redcoats and Zulus also dispels some of the popular myths surrounding the Zulu War, especially the long-held notion that the loss of so many troops at Isandlwana was down to problems with ammunition supplies. The book's co-authors argue strongly that the Zulu army simply outmanoeuvred and outfought the British that day, so the battle should be seen less as a British defeat than a great Zulu victory.
Dr Adrian Greaves, editor of the Journal of Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society and author of several books on the major battles of the Zulu War, has assembled a distinguished group of contributors, including writer and broadcaster Ian Knight, who has written some 25 books on different aspects of the Zulu wars and Major Martin Everett, curator of the South Wales Borderers Museum in Brecon. Each has drawn on extensive archival sources and eyewitness accounts (much of this material in private collections) and the result is overwhelmingly a work of original research, making it one of the most authoritative books in print on this subject. This excellent book Redcoats and Zulus should appeal not just to diehard Zulu War buffs but to anyone interested in British military or colonial history.
Rorke's Drift
ADRIAN GREAVES
£25 plus £1.50 p&p for orders in the UK, £3 p&p for orders outside the UK. [ie postage will be added on at cost]. The second edition has also just sold out - Cassell have now commissioned a third print run.
Available from :
Littlehampton Book Services
PO Box 4264
Durrington
Worthing
W Sussex BN13 3TG
For Credit Card Orders Tel : 01903 828503
Rorke's Drift : - ISBN 0-304-35960-2
Professor John Laband
University of Natal South Africa
The author is an accomplished battlefield lecturer and his research and books on the subject have raised many interesting and controversial issues. I look forward to his assessment of the famous battle at Rorke's Drift.
David Rattray
Fugitives' Drift Lodge, Rorke's Drift South Africa
Adrian Greaves is the editor of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society Journal, a world leader in the field. His previous books on the Zulu War have proved to be very popular and thought provoking: I look forward to his latest book, Rorke's Drift, with keen interest.
Brian Best
Chairman The Victoria Cross Society
Adrian Greaves' previous books and Journal articles have added greatly to our understanding of the Zulu War. His most recent books, Isandlwana and The Curling Letters of the Zulu War were popular, thought provoking and incisive. I fully anticipate his interpretation of the famous battle of Rorke's Drift will be equally revealing.
Isobel Swan
Managing Director Holts Battlefield Tours
Adrian Greaves' books and Journal articles frequently offer an alternative view of well covered Zulu War subjects and provide a great deal of added interest to our tours of the Zulu War battlefields.
David Balow
Travel Editor Kent Messenger Newspaper Group
Greaves' Rorke's Drift is the book I've been waiting for. He is an author who really knows his subject and if his new book is like his recently successful Isandlwana then we're in for a cracking good read.
For Queen & Country
A Review of the South African Campaign of 1879 'Last few copies' £35 inc p&p in the UK* [NB: please note that if you are outside the UK, £3.00 will be added to your order for p&p]. 
This is a fresh assessment and compilation of all known records relating to the officers who were killed, or died of injury or illness, as a result of this war. The book lists every unit and every officer who took part; it also comes with an up-to-date assessment of the reasons for the war as well as outlining the most important engagements. It contains the first ever assessment of the Pedi campaign casualties, a campaign which immediately followed the Zulu War; many of those involved, and their units, had also participated in the Zulu War.
It has taken Ian Knight and Adrian Greaves over 12 months to review, edit and prepare this material – and we believe that this is the only review of these records since the original compilation by Mackinnon and Shadbolt in 1880. The book, which runs to nearly 150 pages, is only available through the Society.
The authors are delighted with the finished product and are confident that readers will be fascinated by its content; it is also most useful as a reference book of the Anglo Zulu War.
The Curling Letters of the Zulu War
‘There was Awful Slaughter’
Edited by Dr Adrian Greaves and Brian Best
The crushing defeat suffered by the British Army by the Zulus at Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 is by any standards a gripping and shocking story. The discovery of a complete set of diaries written by a young Royal Artillery officer who was the only survivor of his unit which lost all their guns is a very important find.
£17.95 per copy
Plus postage
Normally £19.95 but available at the special price of £17.95 to members of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society
CLICK HERE TO ORDER (pdf order form)
ISANDLWANA
On 22nd January 1879, shortly after the British invasion of Zululand, Viscount Chelmsford established a camp at Isandlwana for his centre column, consisting of 1800 Europeans and 1000 natives. But while Chelmsford and about half of the Europeans were away trying to intercept a Zulu force, the camp was hit early in the morning by a surprise Zulu attack. All but 55 Europeans and 300 natives were killed. Returning the next day, Chelmsford discovered the ruined camp, strewn with bodies, and immediately fell back through Rorke’s Drift to defensive positions.
£14.99 per copy
Free UK Postage and Packing
Available from :
Littlehampton Book Services
PO Box 4264
Durrington
Worthing
W Sussex BN13 3TG
For Credit Card Orders Tel :
Isandlwana : - ISBN 0-304-35700-6
CLICK HERE TO ORDER (pdf order form
A Civil Surgeon
Serving with the British Army in the Anglo-Zulu War by Lewis M Reynolds
This is the diary of Dr Lewis M Reynolds, a Civil Surgeon on contract to the British Forces in South Africa. His writings start from the time he left England on 16 May 1878 and end with his return on 4 Oct 1879. In addition to his personal account of the Anglo Zulu campaigns, his dairy includes facts and figures about distances, medical supplies and a small diagram about the formation of the Square during the battle of Ulundi.
To this published version of the diary, his Great Grandson has added some London Illustrated Times lithographs (one being a hand coloured picture of the battle of Ulundi), a brief introduction to the campaigns, two maps, a picture of Dr Reynolds towards the end of his life and a picture his South African medal .
To order, please contact:
Mrs S Lowe, 19 Blackstone Road, London, NW2 6DA
£10 inc P&P
- Sister Janet
Sister Janet: Nurse and Heroine of the Anglo Zulu War 1879
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| THE ANGLO ZULU WAR HISTORICAL SOCIETY |
 |
Hon. President Prof. John Laband FRGS
Hon. Vice President Ian Knight BA, FRGS
Society Consultants;
In South Africa;- Prof. John Laband FRGS, Xolani Mkhize, David Charles FRGS
United Kingdom;- Col. Alan Spicer RAMC, Dr. Christopher Forester, Brian Best FRGS, Ian Knight BA FRGS, Ian Castle FRGS
From The Editor, Dr Adrian Greaves FRGS
Woodbury House, Woodchurch Road, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7AE, Great Britain.
Tel; 01580-764189 Fax; 01580-766648
E-Mail: info@anglozuluwar.com Web: www.anglozuluwar.com
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