Zulu Battle Piece

First published in 1948, renowned British Empire historian Coupland describes, with swift and vivid strokes, the situation between whites and blacks, the great military qualities and terrifying military tactics of the Zulu warriors and the characters of the Englishmen, soldiers and politicians, involved in the disaster. Having prepared the reader with consummate art and scholarship, he then sets the great action in that strange, eerie land, until the reader can truly feel that he has lived through it himself. The aftermath brings him to Rorke’s Drift and the gallant British stand that averted irretrievable disaster. A first-rate account of the battle.

When he wrote this classic, which historians of the period rank alongside Morris's more famous Washing of the Spears, Coupland was the foremost living authority on the history of the British Empire. In Zulu Battle Piece he describes, with swift and vivid strokes, the situation between whites and blacks, the great military qualities and terrifying military tactics of the Zulu warriors and the characters of the Englishmen, soldiers and politicians involved in the disaster; and then having the consummate art and scholarship prepared the reader, he sets the great action in that strange, eerie land, until the reader can truly feel that he has lived through it himself. The aftermath brings him to Rorke's Drift and the gallant British stand that averted irretrievable disaster. This was the first modern study of the battle and subsequent events at Rorke's Drift, a masterly classic by an excellent writer who vividly marshals his facts.

An erudite examination of a great military catastrophe Whilst several works were written concerning the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 in years immediately following the event, the proliferation of wars that followed it during the imperial period followed by the First and Second World Wars, probably meant that little retrospective consideration was given to the conflict for over half a century. The author of this book, Reginald Coupland was an Oxford University historian who specialised in the history of the British Empire and who had published several works on the subject. This book, published quite close to the end of his life, was a reappraisal of the pivotal-and disastrous for the British- Battle of Isandlwana fought in 1879, which resulted in a significant portion of Lord Chelmsford's centre column (which remained encamped) being massacred by the Zulu Army of King Cetshwayo. The loss of life and damage to British prestige was momentous. Coupland's comparatively early academic re-examination of the event, its causes and his consideration of the actions of those who were present will be fascinating for all those interested in the subject. This Leonaur edition has been enhanced by maps, illustrations and photographs not present in the original edition together with interesting first hand accounts by two survivors from the British camp and two short recollections by Zulu warriors who took part in the battle. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

Adrian Greaves uses his exceptional knowledge of the Anglo-Zulu War to look beyond the two best known battles of Isandlwana and the iconic action at Rorkes Drift to other fiercely fought battles.He covers little recorded engagements and battles such as Nyezane which was fought on the same day as the slaughter of Imperial troops at Isandlwana but has been eclipsed by it. Like the battles at Hlobane and Gingindhlovu.The death of the Prince Imperial, which caused shock waves round Europe and had huge repercussions for those involved, is examined in detail. The defeat of the Zulu Army at Ulundi was the culmination of the war and the author reveals new and shocking details about this battle.There is a hint of ominous events to come in the slaughter of Colonel Austruthers Redcoat column by Boers as they marched from Ulundi to Pretoria. This was the opening salvo of the First Boer War.This hugely informative book will fascinate fans of this period of our Imperial history.

Between 1838 and 1888 the recently formed Zulu kingdom in southeastern Africa was directly challenged by the incursion of Boer pioneers aggressively seeking new lands on which to set up their independent republics, by English-speaking traders and hunters establishing their neighboring colony, and by imperial Britain intervening in Zulu affairs to safeguard Britain's position as the paramount power in southern Africa. As a result, the Zulu fought to resist Boer invasion in 1838 and British invasion in 1879. The internal strains these wars caused to the fabric of Zulu society resulted in civil wars in 1840, 1856, and 1882-1884, and Zululand itself was repeatedly partitioned between the Boers and British. In 1888, the old order in Zululand attempted a final, unsuccessful uprising against recently imposed British rule. This tangled web of invasions, civil wars, and rebellion is complex. The Historical Dictionary of the Zulu Wars unravels and elucidates Zulu history during the 50 years between the initial settler threat to the kingdom and its final dismemberment and absorption into the colonial order. A chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, maps, photos, and over 900 cross-referenced dictionary entries that cover the military, politics, society, economics, culture, and key players during the Zulu Wars make this an important reference for everyone from high school students to academics.

Historians Laband and Thompson present an updated edition of Field Guide to the War in Zululand, originally printed in 1979 and reprinted three subsequent times with corrections and revisions. Part I covers the Anglo-Zulu war. Part II addresses battlefields and fortifications by sector (coast, Dundee, Estcourt, Greytown, Luneburg, Newcastle, Ulundi, Vryheid, Pietermaritzburg, and Durban). Attractively formatted with quotation boxes, maps, and numerous drawings, reproductions of engravings, and photographs (mostly in bandw). Oversize: 8.50x12". Distributed by ISBS. c. Book News Inc.