Author: Mike Snook
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1783469943
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 430
Book Description
A detailed chronicle of a significant opening battle in the Anglo-Zulu War: ”The Zulu attack on Rorke’s Drift thrillingly retold” (Richard Holmes). On January 22nd, 1879, the British Army in South Africa was swept aside by the seemingly unstoppable Zulu warriors at the Battle of Isandlwana. Nearby, at a remote outpost on the Buffalo River, a single company of the 24th Regiment and a few dozen recuperating hospital patients were passing a hot, monotonous day. By the time they received news from across the river, retreat was no longer an option. It seemed certain that the Rorke's Drift detachment would share the same fate. And yet, against incredible odds, the British managed to defend their station. In this riveting history, Colonel Snook brings the insights of a military professional to bear on this fateful encounter at the start of Anglo-Zulu War. It is an extraordinary tale—a victory largely achieved by the sheer bloody-mindedness of the British infantryman. Recounting in detail how the Zulu attack unfolded, Snook demonstrates how 150 men achieved their improbable victory. Snook then describes the remainder of the war, from the recovery of the lost Queen's Colour of the 24th Regiment to the climactic charge of the 17th Lancers at Ulundi. We return to Isandlwana to consider culpability, and learn of the often tragic fates of many of the war's participants.
Rorke's Drift
Author: Adrian Greaves
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 1780224974
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 529
Book Description
The story of the bravest battle ever fought. On 22nd January 1879 a force of 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed and destroyed the British invading force at Isandlwana, killing and ritually disemboweling over 1200 troops. That afternoon, the same Zulu force turned their attention on a small outpost at Rorke's Drift. The battle that ensued, one of the British Army's great epics, has since entered into legend. Throughout the night 85 men held off six full-scale Zulu attacks at the cost of only 27 casualties, forcing the Zulu army to withdraw. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for bravery shown on that night, the largest number for any one engagement in history. But as Adrian Greaves's new research shows there are several things about the myth of Rorke's Drift that don't add up. While it was the scene of undoubted bravery, it was also the scene of some astonishing cases of cowardice, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that the legend of Rorke's Drift was created to divert attention from the appalling British mistakes which caused the earlier defeat at Isandlwana.
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 1780224974
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 529
Book Description
The story of the bravest battle ever fought. On 22nd January 1879 a force of 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed and destroyed the British invading force at Isandlwana, killing and ritually disemboweling over 1200 troops. That afternoon, the same Zulu force turned their attention on a small outpost at Rorke's Drift. The battle that ensued, one of the British Army's great epics, has since entered into legend. Throughout the night 85 men held off six full-scale Zulu attacks at the cost of only 27 casualties, forcing the Zulu army to withdraw. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for bravery shown on that night, the largest number for any one engagement in history. But as Adrian Greaves's new research shows there are several things about the myth of Rorke's Drift that don't add up. While it was the scene of undoubted bravery, it was also the scene of some astonishing cases of cowardice, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that the legend of Rorke's Drift was created to divert attention from the appalling British mistakes which caused the earlier defeat at Isandlwana.
How Can Man Die Better
Author: Mike Snook
Publisher: Frontline Books
ISBN: 1473815355
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
This chronicle of the first battle in the Anglo-Zulu War is “the most powerful and moving modern account of the great Zulu epic that I have ever read” (Richard Holmes, historian and author of The Age of Wonder). On January 22, 1879, a massive Zulu host attacked the British Army’s 24th Regiment in its encampment at the foot of the mountain of Isandlwana. It was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War and a disastrous defeat for the colonial power. Later that afternoon the victorious Zulus would strike the tiny British garrison at Rorke’s Drift. How Can Man Die Better is a unique analysis of the Battle of Isandlwana, covering the weapons, tactics, terrain, and the intriguing characters who made key military decisions. While much is still unknown about the battle, this work eschews the commonly held perception that the British collapse was sudden and that the 24th Regiment was quickly overwhelmed. Rather, historian Mike Snook argues that there was a protracted and heroic defense against a determined and equally heroic foe. A British Army colonel who served in South Africa, Snook reconstructs the final phase of the battle in a way that has never been attempted before.
Publisher: Frontline Books
ISBN: 1473815355
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
This chronicle of the first battle in the Anglo-Zulu War is “the most powerful and moving modern account of the great Zulu epic that I have ever read” (Richard Holmes, historian and author of The Age of Wonder). On January 22, 1879, a massive Zulu host attacked the British Army’s 24th Regiment in its encampment at the foot of the mountain of Isandlwana. It was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War and a disastrous defeat for the colonial power. Later that afternoon the victorious Zulus would strike the tiny British garrison at Rorke’s Drift. How Can Man Die Better is a unique analysis of the Battle of Isandlwana, covering the weapons, tactics, terrain, and the intriguing characters who made key military decisions. While much is still unknown about the battle, this work eschews the commonly held perception that the British collapse was sudden and that the 24th Regiment was quickly overwhelmed. Rather, historian Mike Snook argues that there was a protracted and heroic defense against a determined and equally heroic foe. A British Army colonel who served in South Africa, Snook reconstructs the final phase of the battle in a way that has never been attempted before.
Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana
Author: Ian F. W. Beckett
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198794126
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
The story of Isandlwana, the battle that shocked the British empire at its zenith, and Rorke's Drift, which immediately followed it and went some way to restoring wounded British pride: how they were fought, how they have been remembered, and what they mean for us today.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198794126
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
The story of Isandlwana, the battle that shocked the British empire at its zenith, and Rorke's Drift, which immediately followed it and went some way to restoring wounded British pride: how they were fought, how they have been remembered, and what they mean for us today.
Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana
Author: CHRIS. PEERS
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781784385347
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 was one of the most dramatic episodes in military history. In the morning, 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed the British invading force in one of the greatest disasters ever to befall a British army.Later the same day, a Zulu force of around 3,000 warriors turned their attention to a small outpost at Rorke's Drift defended by around 150 British and Imperial troops. The British victory that ensued - against remarkable odds - would go down as one of the most heroic actions of all time.In this thrilling blow-by-blow account, Chris Peers draws on first-hand testimonies from both sides to piece together the course of the battles as they unfolded. Along the way, he exposes many of the Victorian myths to reveal great acts of bravery as well as cases of cowardice and incompetence. A brief analysis of the aftermath of the battle and notes on the later careers of the key participants completes this gripping exposé of this legendary encounter.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781784385347
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 was one of the most dramatic episodes in military history. In the morning, 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed the British invading force in one of the greatest disasters ever to befall a British army.Later the same day, a Zulu force of around 3,000 warriors turned their attention to a small outpost at Rorke's Drift defended by around 150 British and Imperial troops. The British victory that ensued - against remarkable odds - would go down as one of the most heroic actions of all time.In this thrilling blow-by-blow account, Chris Peers draws on first-hand testimonies from both sides to piece together the course of the battles as they unfolded. Along the way, he exposes many of the Victorian myths to reveal great acts of bravery as well as cases of cowardice and incompetence. A brief analysis of the aftermath of the battle and notes on the later careers of the key participants completes this gripping exposé of this legendary encounter.
Zulu Rising
Author: Ian Knight
Publisher: Pan
ISBN: 9780330445931
Category : Isandlwana, Battle of, South Africa, 1879
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The battle of iSandlwana was the single most destructive incident in the 150-year history of the British colonization of South Africa. This title shows that the brutality of the battle was the result of an inevitable clash between two aggressive warrior traditions.
Publisher: Pan
ISBN: 9780330445931
Category : Isandlwana, Battle of, South Africa, 1879
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The battle of iSandlwana was the single most destructive incident in the 150-year history of the British colonization of South Africa. This title shows that the brutality of the battle was the result of an inevitable clash between two aggressive warrior traditions.
Into the Jaws of Death
Author: Mike Snook
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1783469846
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 444
Book Description
A study of British military defeats and disasters in the late nineteenth century: “An enthralling look at the Victorian army in adversity.” —BBC History Magazine Between the Crimean War and the dawn of the twentieth century, the British Army was almost continuously engaged in one corner of the globe or another, in military operations famously characterized by Kipling as the “savage wars of peace.” In his new work on the most dramatic Victorian campaigns, Mike Snook brings the most dramatic clashes of the age of empire back to life. Here he focuses closely on defeat and disaster—the occasions when things went badly awry for the British. The names of these great battles—Isandlwana, Maiwand, Majuba Hill, Khartoum, Colenso, Spion Kop, and Magersfontein—still resonate down through the ages. In a meticulously researched military history, the author exposes the true and sometimes embarrassing causes of defeat. Overstretch, political meddling, military incompetence, and petty jealousy all played their part. Above all else, however, these are dramatic and perceptive accounts of mere mortal men struggling to deal with the often-overpowering dynamics and horrors of nineteenth-century warfare on the fringes of Empire.
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1783469846
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 444
Book Description
A study of British military defeats and disasters in the late nineteenth century: “An enthralling look at the Victorian army in adversity.” —BBC History Magazine Between the Crimean War and the dawn of the twentieth century, the British Army was almost continuously engaged in one corner of the globe or another, in military operations famously characterized by Kipling as the “savage wars of peace.” In his new work on the most dramatic Victorian campaigns, Mike Snook brings the most dramatic clashes of the age of empire back to life. Here he focuses closely on defeat and disaster—the occasions when things went badly awry for the British. The names of these great battles—Isandlwana, Maiwand, Majuba Hill, Khartoum, Colenso, Spion Kop, and Magersfontein—still resonate down through the ages. In a meticulously researched military history, the author exposes the true and sometimes embarrassing causes of defeat. Overstretch, political meddling, military incompetence, and petty jealousy all played their part. Above all else, however, these are dramatic and perceptive accounts of mere mortal men struggling to deal with the often-overpowering dynamics and horrors of nineteenth-century warfare on the fringes of Empire.
The Anglo Zulu War: Isandlwana
Author: Ron Lock
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526707446
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
A concise history of the Battle of Isandlwana, the first encounter of the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. In 1878, H.M. High Commissioner for Southern Africa and the Lieut. General Commanding H.M. Forces, clandestinely conspired to invade the Zulu Kingdom. Drastically underestimating their foe, the invaders had been vanquished within days of entering the Zulu Kingdom, in one of the greatest disasters ever to befall a British army. The author not only dramatically describes the events leading up to the Battle of Isandlwana, and the battle itself but, with new evidence, disputes many aspects of the campaign long held sacrosanct. Praise for The Anglo Zulu War: Isandlwana “It offers a controversial but compelling account of the battle that underlines the consequences of operational arrogance and underestimating the fighting abilities of a less technologically equipped enemy – something that should resonate with all those who serve.” —Soldier “This is a book that should be on the bookshelves of everyone who is interested in the history of South Africa.” —The South African Military Society
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526707446
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
A concise history of the Battle of Isandlwana, the first encounter of the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. In 1878, H.M. High Commissioner for Southern Africa and the Lieut. General Commanding H.M. Forces, clandestinely conspired to invade the Zulu Kingdom. Drastically underestimating their foe, the invaders had been vanquished within days of entering the Zulu Kingdom, in one of the greatest disasters ever to befall a British army. The author not only dramatically describes the events leading up to the Battle of Isandlwana, and the battle itself but, with new evidence, disputes many aspects of the campaign long held sacrosanct. Praise for The Anglo Zulu War: Isandlwana “It offers a controversial but compelling account of the battle that underlines the consequences of operational arrogance and underestimating the fighting abilities of a less technologically equipped enemy – something that should resonate with all those who serve.” —Soldier “This is a book that should be on the bookshelves of everyone who is interested in the history of South Africa.” —The South African Military Society