"Zulu: The True Story" Topic

Old… but still interesting to read….

"On 22 January 1879, at Rorke's Drift on the Natal border with Zululand, in South Africa, a tiny British garrison of 140 men – many of them sick and wounded – fought for 12 hours to repel repeated attacks by up to 3,000 Zulu warriors. This heroic defence was rewarded by Queen Victoria's government with no fewer than 11 Victoria Crosses, and was later immortalised by the film Zulu (1964), directed by Cy Endfield.

Few, however, remember that it was fought on the same day that the British Army suffered its most humiliating defeat at nearby Isandlwana. Why? Because it suited those responsible for the disaster to exaggerate the importance of Rorke's Drift in the hope of reducing the impact of Isandlwana.

The true story of 22 January 1879 – the Empire's longest day – is one of unprovoked slaughter, of heroes being ignored and of the guilty being protected. And the responsibility for this lay with Queen Victoria herself…"
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Amicalement
Armand

All this is well covered in Col. Snook's books How Can Man Die Better and Like Wolves to the Fold. Nothing ground breaking here. The fact that these books are left off the list at the end says a lot to me.

Even worse, "Washing of the Spears" is not on Saul's list. Nor is "Narrative of the Field Operations Connected with the Zulu War of 1879".

I stayed at Isandlawana Lodge about 10 years ago, and got chatting to the resident historian / battlefield guide. He told me that Saul David had stayed there for a fortnight, doing research on this book about the war. When the resident historian / battlefield guide asked him about the war on the first evening, David cheerfully admitted he knew nothing about it, but would learn it all in the next two weeks.

Make of that what you will.