The Zulu war. A pictorial history.

Of all the many colonial campaigns of the Victorian era, few have gripped the imagination more than the Zulu War of 1879. Its dramatic events and the high courage displayed by men of both sides have provided the material for books, articles and paintings, while in recent times its more remarkable incidents have featured in television programmes and films. Among military and colonial history enthusiasts its fascination has few equals.

Even though a century has passed, there can be few who are not aware of the annihilation of a British column at Isandhlwana by the great Zulu military machine, the heroic defence of Rorke's Drift by its tiny garrison or the tragic death of the Prince Imperial of France. Underlying these and the other actions was the astonishing resistance of a warrior nation armed chiefly with spears and shields, of whom Disraeli said: 'They defeat our generals; they convert our Bishops and put an end to a great European dynasty.'

This book depicts the scenes and protagonists of the Zulu War exactly as they appeared to those who took part a hundred years ago. Michael Barthorp, a distinguished military historian and former Regular Army Officer, in an exhaustive study fo the Zulu War, has researched over 150 photographs and contemporary illustrations from museum and private collections, both in England and South Africa; many have never been published before. These are complemented by a text which explains the background and causes of the war, the opposing forces and plans, and the course of the campaign, from its disastrous beginning until the final overthrow of the most feared tribe in Africa.