Zulu Rising: The Epic Story of iSandlwana and Rorke's Drift

Book is a fantastic resource of the British African community

Superb book and a great update on "Washing of the Spears". Two criticisms (1) an infuriating habit of writing all measurements in imperial and then putting the metric equivalent in parenthesis afterwards. As if we didn't know that a meter is a bit more than a yard. This is especially silly when the first measurement (often in a quote) is obviously a rough estimate. E.g "at about 50 yards (46 meters) ...." Pedantic. (2) The maps at the beginning of the book are barely adequate and difficult to read. This is a common problem with histories - "Washing" was even worse. Amateur historians like me need excellent and clear maps just as soldiers do. I would use Berton's "The Arctic Grail" or Chandler's "Campaigns of Napoleon" as models. Although their format is a little larger, whenever you think "I'd like to see that (relationship) on a map" it is invariably right there under your nose.

I have just returned from a visit to the battlefields at Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. I had the pleasure to be joined by Anthony Coleman. His narrative bought the story of events that happened there to life and I found the whole experience very moving. Sitting under the summit of Isandlwana and looking across the valley towards the conical hill in the direction of the Zulu advance I was fixed on his every word. More so when we moved on to the Mission at Rorke's Drift and paid a visit to the museum there. Towards the exit is a model that depicts the events that occurred there. The small enclave of British Soldiers totally surrounded by at least 4000 Zulu warriors made me wonder how the fate of these soldiers wasn't the same as those at Isandlwana. So many brave men on both sides, the futility of War in all its glory. It furthered in me a quest for more knowledge on my return to the UK. Using what I had learnt from my experiences and the knowledge imparted to me by Mr. Coleman of Battlescenes, I started looking for suitable reading material. I found it in this gripping book. The narrative is superb and builds up the story leading to the events in marvelous detail. When reading it I was taken back to the battlefields and local area, it's like being there all over again and listening to Mr. Coleman. Ian Knight gives an accurate feel of the places concerned and clearly explains the history of the country in the events that lead to War. He shows the big picture as well as the finer details. The book a must read, one that I found difficult to put down as every page imparts knowledge and information that makes just reading the next page a given. Visiting the battlefields started a fire inside me and the flames have been fanned by Ian Knight and Zulu Rising, telling an epic story in a truly epic book.

I have read many history books before but this one is one of the best. I got hooked by it from the beginning and could not stop reading at any chance I had. It took me only 2 weeks to read this 700 plus pages book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of South Africa colonial past and the British army of this time. Lots of details, interesting and exciting reading from the beginning to the end, the author does not leave anything behind. This is the kind of books that when you are done, you have that strange feeling that it was too short!

I thought this was an excellent book, and I am only surprised that it hasn't been more widely acclaimed. It tells a complex story well, covering the context and history as well as the particular incidents, balancing the British and Zulu perspectives, and also balancing the big picture with individual experiences - on both sides. And when it came to the action I found it almost unputdownable. His account of Isandlwanda would be a credit to a good historical novelist, and is all the more impressive considering that there are, for obviously reasons, relatively few personal accounts of the battle.On a lighter note it was amusing to find that the real Chard and Bromhead were a pair of very unlikely heros and about as far from Stanley Baker and Michael Caine as it would be possible to be. And good to find also that there were people on the British/colonial side who opposed the rush to war and conquest - Bishop Colense stands out as an admirable figure.One very small absence - there is a very helpful glossary of Zulu and Afrikaans terms, but a pronunciation guide would have been helpful. I'm still not clear how `iSandlwana' is meant to be pronounced.