<div><B>For fans of Harry Turtledove, an alternate history novel in which Zulu forces triumph over the British at Rorke&rsquo;s Drift in 1879 and invade Natal.</B><BR />  <BR /> January 1879. The British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom are at war. Lord Carnarvon, Secretary of State for the Colonies, who had successfully brought about federation in Canada in 1867, had believed a similar scheme would work in South Africa. But such plans are rejected by Boer leaders. Lord Chelmsford leads a British military expeditionary force to enter the Zulu Kingdom uninvited. A bloody battle ensues on 22 January 1879 at Isandlwana. The Zulus are the unexpected victors.<BR />  <BR /> After that brutal defeat, the British Army are at Rorke&rsquo;s Drift on the Buffalo River in Natal Province, South Africa. A few hundred British and colonial troops, led by Lieutenants John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead, face the might of the Zulu army of thousands led by Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande (CORR). Against the odds, the British are victorious, and this defeat marks the end of the Zulu nation&rsquo;s dominance of the region.<BR />  <BR /> The Defence of Rorke&rsquo;s Drift would go down in history as an iconic British Empire Battle and inspired Victorian Britain. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to military personnel. But what if the Zulus had defeated the British at Rorke&rsquo;s Drift and invaded Natal? . . .<BR />  <BR /> In the first ever alternate history of the Anglo-Zulu War, historian John Laband asks that question. With his vast knowledge of the Anglo-Zulu War, he turns history on its head and offers a tantalizing glimpse of a very different outcome, weaving a compelling, never-before told story of what could have been.</div>

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The Fall of Rorke's Drift

<div>“The great host came steadily on, spreading out spreading out - spreading out till they seemed like a giant pair of nut-crackers opening round the little nut of Rorke’s Drift.” – Surgeon Major James Henry Reynolds V.C., Army Medical Department  On 22 January 1879, during the final hour of the Battle of iSandlwana – one of the greatest disasters ever to befall British troops during the Victorian era – a very different story was about to unfold a few miles away at the mission station of Rorke’s Drift. When a Zulu force of more than 3,000 warriors turned their attention to the small outpost, defended by around 150 British and Imperial troops, the odds of the British surviving were staggeringly low. The British victory that ensued, therefore, would go down as one of the most heroic actions of all time, and has enraptured military history enthusiasts for decades.  Featuring a wide range of first-hand accounts and testimonies from those present during the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, Rorke’s Drift By Those Who Were There is a remarkable work of Anglo-Zulu military history by those who know the topic best, Lee Stevenson and Ian Knight. This updated edition of the classic work of the same name includes even more first-person accounts from the combatants on both the British and Zulu sides.  Providing personal, microscopic accounts of events, while at the same time presenting a clear overview of the battle in its entirety, readers will gain an impressive, unique breadth of knowledge about one of the most awe-inspiring battles in British history.</div>

Rorke's Drift By Those Who Were There, Volume 1

<div><B>An in-depth look at the army of Africa&rsquo;s Zulu kingdom leading up to their epic battle against the British army in 1879.</B><BR /><BR /> Forces of the independent Zulu kingdom inflicted a crushing defeat on British imperial forces at Isandlwana in January, 1879. The Zulu Army was not, however, a professional force, unlike its British counterpart, but was the mobilized manpower of the Zulu state. Ian Knight details how the Zulu army functioned and ties its role firmly to the broader context of Zulu society and culture.<BR /><BR /> The Zulu army had its roots in the early groups of young men who took part in combat between tribes, but such warfare was limited to disputes over cattle ownership, grazing rights, or avenging insults. In the early nineteenth century the Zulu nation began a period of rapid expansion, and King Shaka began to reform his forces into regular military units.<BR /><BR /> Ian Knight charts the development and training of the men that formed the impi, which later operated so successfully under King Cetshwayo. Knight analyzes the Zulu&rsquo;s fighting methods, weapons, and philosophy, all of which led to the disciplined force that faced the British army in 1879.<BR /><BR /><B>&ldquo;For me, this is the Zulu bible&mdash;everything you need to know about this warrior race over a 60-year period during the 19th Century. The battles fought are legendary and well covered many times over in other books, but Knight&rsquo;s &ldquo;anatomy&rdquo; goes much deeper. The book explains why the Zulu Army was so fearsome and effective, by exposing how each warrior was virtually nurtured into the role from birth and remained loyal until death.&rdquo; &mdash;David H. Smith, <I>Military Modelling</I></B></div>

The Anatomy of the Zulu Army

<div>The Anglo-Zulu War was a defining episode in British imperial history, and it is still a subject of intense interest. The Zulu victory at Isandlwana, the heroic British defence of Rorke's Drift and the eventual British triumph are among the most closely researched events of the colonial era. In this historical companion, Ian Knight, one of the foremost authorities on the war and the Zulu kingdom, provides an essential reference guide to a short, bloody campaign that had an enduring impact on the history of Britain and southern Africa. He gives succinct summaries of the issues, events, armies and individuals involved. His work is an invaluable resource for anyone who is interested in the history of the period, in the operations of the British army in southern Africa, and in the Zulu kingdom.</div>

Companion to the Anglo-Zulu War

<div><B>One of the most highly regarded books on the British campaign of the nineteenth-century Anglo-Zulu War fought in southern Africa.</B><BR />  <BR /> Robust and economically self-reliant, the Zulu Kingdom&mdash;created by Shaka kaSenzangakhona&mdash;was seen as a threat to British colonialism. In December 1878, the British High Commissioner in South Africa, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, picked a quarrel with the Zulu king, Cetshwayo kaMpande, in the belief that the Zulu army&mdash;armed primarily with shields and spears&mdash;would soon collapse in the face of British Imperial might.<BR />  <BR /> The war began in January 1879. Three columns of British troops under the command of Lt. Gen. Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand. Almost immediately, the war went badly wrong for the British. On January 22, the Centre Column, under Lord Chelmsford&rsquo;s personal command, was defeated at Isandlwana mountain. In one of the worst disasters of the colonial era, over 1,300 British troops and their African allies were killed. In the aftermath of Isandlwana, the Zulu reserves mounted a raid on the British border post at Rorke&rsquo;s Drift, which was held by just 145 men. After ten hours of ferocious fighting, the Zulu were driven off. Eleven of the defenders of Rorke&rsquo;s Drift were awarded the Victoria Cross.<BR />  <BR /> These are the best-known episodes of the war, and Rorke&rsquo;s Drift went on to inspire the classic film <I>Zulu</I>, which established Michael Caine as a star. Drawing on new research performed since the centenary in 1979, the author delves deeply into the causes of the war, the conditions during it, and the aftermath.</div>

Brave Men's Blood

<div>"The War of Mlanjeni was the longest conflict in South African history until the second Anglo-Boer War. The loss of life was substantially heavier than that of the Zulu War of 1879 and the political after-effects of it were significantly greater than those that followed the Zulu War. The Zulu War has been the subject of numerous accounts but the silence surrounding the Eighth Frontier War is deafening. Harry Smith's Last Throw fills this gap: a moving history, vividly drawn out using eye-witness accounts. The narrative is not limited to the British perspective. Xhosa accounts have been translated (many for the first time) to avoid an Anglo-centric bias. For both sides by the 8th War there was a great deal of blood to avenge and brutal killings were perpetrated by many combatants. The author provides a colorful backdrop, explaining how the Dutch East India Company came to the Cape to establish a provision station for ships on the way to its East Indies empire. Dutch Burghers settled there but the Company had no interest in Africa itself. In order to be viable farms had to be large and this created a class of independent-minded who looked increasingly to the interior of Africa, pushing the Colonys borders. The wars with the Xhosa were the result of the eventual expansion of these boundaries into Xhosa territory."</div>

Harry Smith's Last Throw

<div>The heroic defence of the mission station at Rorke's Drift became the epic action of the Anglo-Zulu War. A small garrison defended this valuable border-post for ten hours and in the process won the northern sector at Ntcombe Drift, Hlobane and Khambula. Essential reading for those who wish to learn the facts rather than the myths of this legendary stand.</div>

Rorke's Drift

<div>The Anglo Zulu War continues to attract phenomenal interest.  What was meant to be a quick punitive expedition led by Lord Chelmsford turned into a watershed for British Colonial power.  The ignominious defeat at Iswandhlwana was a terrible blow to British military pride but the heroic stand at Rourkes Drift, while a minor event by comparison, allowed the powers-that-be to salvage some honor.This authoritative book covers all the main players, be they military, political or civilian, with concise yet readable individual entries.  In addition to the military commanders on both sides, we have the VC winners, those at Rourkes Drift and survivors of the massacre.  Individuals such as The Crown Prince Imperial whose actions made an impact all have entries.</div>

Who's Who in the Zulu War, 1879:  The Colonials and The Zulus

<div>The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 has a character that inspires and fascinates readers and increasing numbers of visitors to South Africa. The two volume biographical dictionary of the participants is a unique venture and this second volume reveals much about the formidable Zulu nation which so nearly humbled the mighty British Empire which had provoked the conflict.Thanks to the deep knowledge and research abilities of the two authors this fascinating book provides detail on both the leaders of the Zulu armies, which totaled some 40,000 warriors. We learn of the terrible price paid by this proud nation not just from the defeat by the British but in the civil war of 1883 brought about as a result of the internal tensions unleashed by the Zulu War.The role of the Colonials, be they British settlers, Boer or non-Zulu Africans is also examined through highly informative entries on the main personalities.</div>

Who's Who in the Zulu War, 1879: The British

<div>In this gripping collection of first-hand accounts, Ian Knight presents the adventure of nineteenth-century warfare  from the thrill of the cavalry charges at Balaklava and Omdurman, to the terror of battle against an overwhelming odds such as Rorke's Drift  in the words of the men actually there.These eyewitness accounts provide a vivid and sometimes shocking insight into the brutal realities of warfare for the British imperial soldier, who fought against enemies from massed ranks of Russians and assegai-armed natives to sharp-shooting Boers, in often the most terrible conditions imaginable.These stirring tales of military adventure have been edited by Ian Knight and brought together and published in book form. Originally featured in turn-of-the-century magazine, popular during the heyday of empire, these historically valuable accounts throw considerable light on campaign conditions during Queen Victoria's colonial wars.Marching to the Drums includes accounts focusing on the experience of battle during such pivotal conflicts as the Sikh Wars, the Crimean War, the Afghan Wars, the Anglo-Zulu War, and those in China, the Sudan and South Africa.</div>

Marching to the Drums

<div>Edward Spiers, a leading authority on the Victorian British army, presents here a select edition of letters from the siege of Ladysmith (18991900) that have not been seen since their original publication in metropolitan and provincial newspapers. The 250 letters were published in different British newspapers and provide crucial insights into contemporary perceptions of the battles that preceded the siege, the onset of the siege itself, and the desperate and bloody attempts to relieve the town. Subsequent efforts to defend Ladysmith  and to march to its relief  became the great dramatic saga of the early phase of the AngloBoer War, providing the context for a series of dramatic battles that embarrassed the Empire and destroyed established reputations. Much has been written about the failings of the British commanders but it is clear that in no other theatre in the war were the practical difficulties so real  or the stakes so high. These letters reflect vividly the feelings of junior officers and other ranks as they struggled to cope with the demands of modern warfare, These eyewitness testimonies provide first-hand commentary upon the events in Natal that shattered the pre-war confidence in Britain.</div>

Ian Knight
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Books By Ian Knight (8 Books)

Rorke's Drift By Those Who Were There, Volume 1

The Anatomy of the Zulu Army

Companion to the Anglo-Zulu War

Brave Men's Blood

Rorke's Drift

Who's Who in the Zulu War, 1879: The Colonials and The Zulus

Who's Who in the Zulu War, 1879: The British

Marching to the Drums

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Ian KnightFollow this author