| Date | Original Topic |
| 10th April 2005 | Ian Knight
By Peter Harman
As Ian Knight the author ever started or answered questions relating to topics on this website.If not does anyone know why. |
| Date | Replies |
| 11th April 2005 | CLIVE DICKENS
Peter
Ian Knight is a very nice and very approachable gentleman, but he is also a very busy man and I expect he does not have the time to participate in every aspect of theZulu wars
Clive |
| 11th April 2005 | Peter Harman
Thanks Clive.
Then I suppose. John Young . Ron Lock. Peter Quantrill and Julian Whybra are not so busy. However they seem to find time to add to this web site.
But if Ian Knight is to busy then you have answered my question...??? |
| 11th April 2005 | Bill Cainan
Peter
It is not just Ian Knight that does not contribute to this site – I would ask you to look at the authors of, say, the last ten books published on the AZW to see how many contribute - not very many.
I think you need to appreciate that were Ian to answer queries on this site, it would not just be the one or two, it would be dozens if not hundreds. His involvement would then, without doubt, become almost full time, and who then would write the definitive histories of the AZW ? With many recent visitors to the site not bothering to use the search facility, it does mean that the same question comes up time and again, thereby exacerbating the situation.
Also, I suspect that most visitors to this site are probably unaware that a number of AZW authors have recently been subjected to insults and threats, both on and off this site. Fortunately, most of the on-site “contributions” have been quickly eliminated by the webmaster. However, this form of extreme re-action does inevitably leave a sour taste in the mouth and results in a reluctance to contribute any further to the subject, be it as entries on this site or indeed to full literary efforts. It is a sad reflection on our society that even a “minor” interest topic like the AZW attracts its share of unreasonable behaviour.
Bill
|
| 11th April 2005 | Phil Green
Constantly monitoring the site is ok if you have the time. I understand Ian is in S Africa at least three/four times a year and I know he was recently there for several weeks as I bumped into him on the battlefields, and he has another tour imminent with another being advertised for the autumn. Then he has his books to write and a growing family to attend to. Add to this his lectures and I doubt he has much time left. There is the additional point, that once you start to answer questions it is difficult to stop.... and like so many things in life, there is the valid point made by Bill, there is always going to be someone on the site who pops up to dispute one's answer. ... and then, as we have all seen, the whole thing gets argumentative and tiresome. |
| 11th April 2005 | Paul Cubbin
I'm sure Ian Knight is contactable via one of his publishers - p'raps you could ask him personally?
I for one enjoy the odd bit of banter and pleasant discussion with people who share an interest in the Zulu War; I don't know that many outside of this forum. The actual information gained, whilst sometimes fascinating, is of secondary importance to me, hence I rarely bother with the search facility. I'd rather be involved in a conversation than read a transcript of someone else's.
Maybe Ian has enough of that already, I shouldn't imagine he's short of such company if he felt like it. |
| 11th April 2005 | Sheldon Hall
In addition to his other activities, Ian also maintains his own website. See the links on this site or visit http://www.kwazulu.co.uk/ |
| 11th April 2005 | Peter Harman
Thanks for the replys.
And Thank you Sheldon. I shall pay the website a visit. |
| 11th April 2005 | Peter Harman
Hi Sheldon.
Check out that website. Its got no discussion
forum. If I wish to purchase products on the Zulu Wars I can do it on this web site.
Nice pictures on Ian Website. |
| 11th April 2005 | Peter Harman
Hi Sheldon.
Check out that website. Its got no discussion
forum. If I wish to purchase products on the Zulu Wars I can do it on this web site.
Nice pictures on Ian Website. |
| 12th April 2005 | Tony Jones.
Dear all,
if Ian Knight did or would have decided to go 'live' on this discussion forum,he would,as mentioned above be inundated with questions and replies.This would set a precedent for him to reply to 'all' enquiries,which would be a difficult amount of additional work to keep up with.If he then stopped answering enquiries,some may take offence to this and his refusal to answer would reflect badly on him.I for one would rather read his excellent works-his last book was superb-and would say that his abscence from this discussion forum is a small price to pay for his continued research.
In a different context,i would love to see Sir Michael Caine(or is it correct to say Sir Maurice Mickelthwaite) answering questions about his role as Bromhead on this site;our chances of this occuring are even less than the probability Ian appearing.I feel they've both made the right decision.In the meantime, we are fortunate that we have the above named experts guiding us,who are more than adequate to cover the abscence of Ian. |
| 12th April 2005 | Peter Harman
Tony your right.
Who needs Ian Knight or Sir Maurice Mickelthwaite.
|
| 16th May 2005 | Michael Kent
As Clive has already stated Ian is a very approachable person. I have just come back from Holts' Walking Tour of the Zulu War battlefields on which Ian was our guide. His oral description of each engagement is second to none and this man, I believe, has single handedly breathed new life into this campaign. He is extremely busy and is currently in the process of writing an updated account of Rorke's Drift in which he will be bringing some new facts into the equation. We were party to these facts on the tour but will keep these a secret!!
Ian does read this forum I believe but as one contributor has already stated the poor fellow will be bombarded if he were to make even one response.
Personally I think all us enthusiasts should count ourselves extremely fortunate to have such a thoroughly nice chap as our chosen subject's leading historian.
Just don't mention Noel Edmonds though!!! (Sorry Ian if you read this) |
