The Anatomy of the Zulu Army: From Shaka to Cetshway, 1818-1879 (Greenhill Military)

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. Knight details how the Zulu army functioned and ties its role firmly to the broader context of Zulu society and culture.