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Best selling AZW Book Ever?
Rich
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The other day I looked at the growing number of books I had on the AZW. Naturally, in that perusal, I've come across some fine scholarship by a number of noted writers on the war and you know who you are. My question is what is or has been the most popular book or books on the war in print right now? Is it Washing of the Spears? I only note this because it stand to reason that the most popular book on the war will, in a way, help dictate one's approach to the war as well as getting the majority of readers into a particular frame of reference when studying the war. So, for example, I wonder how many copies of Mr. David's book were sold. As we know, he sort of has taken some different stances than previous writers. I write all this because I am reading a fine book on the "unknown" battle of Midway where historians are bringing to light unknown facts of Japanese military planning for the battle. Now because of this investigation some myths of the battle are slowly being destroyed. Now these facts were never before available until many many years after 1942. Now at times, I wish we had this same "rosetta stone" for the Zulu campaign against Chelmsford prior and during Isandhlwana but I believe as the years go by from 1879 it will be harder and harder to pull off a "Midway" analysis on that engagement where behaviors made can be looked at as definitive as opposed to conjecture.
tony.ashford.@ntlworld,co


Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 41
Location: Lenton, Nottingham
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Richus, Hi,

You make an excellent point. So many myths are perpetuated throughout all periods of history, the more so the further back you go. My particular "beef" is the long-held myth that Harold Godwinson was killed by an arrow in the eye at Hastings. This is based on a mis-interpretation of the Bayeux Tapestry ( being pedantic, it's not even a tapestry, it's an embroidery!) Modern scholars repeatedly make the point but the myth hangs on not only in writings but on film and video. So firmly held is the notion that people cling to even it when corrected - they were taught it at school or read it somewhere!! "Washing of the Spears" may well be the most popular AZW book but plenty of misinerpretation and myth perpetuated there.. But then that's the nature of history and historical writing and evaluation.

Best wishes,

Tony Ashford.
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Keith Smith


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 540
Location: Northern NSW, Australia
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What is history but a fable agreed upon.
Napoleon Bonaparte.
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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With the passing of 40 years since "The Washing of the Spears" and the very considerable output of well researched books and journal articles in the UK, RSA & elsewhere during the intervening period, I would think (or hope!) that most of the myths created or perpetuated by that book have been more or less corrected by now - but you never know.

Am I being optimistic in assuming that most of what we learn in future about the AZW will be, more or less, merely "fine-tuning?" I suspect that most of the myths have been debunked by now, although Mike Snook has recently come up with one or two more myth-debunking theories in HCMDB which, for all I know, are spot on. For example, I find his argument in favour of a much later closing of the left & right horns at Isandlwana convincing, otherwise the 24th would surely have been attacked, trapped and defeated from the rear long before the completion of their withdrawal from the outer firing line towards the camp & nek.

The other "myth-debunking" genre, the sort of book by David & mentioned above, is not so much myth-debunking, I feel, as a rather hollow sort of sensation-mongering, which does no good at all for the reputation of any genuine historian who abandons all the accepted tenets of scholarly research & writing, but simply wastes the time (& money?) of the reader and the money (one hopes!) of the publisher.

Peter
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Rich
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Very good Keith and from Maitland..

"It is very hard to remember that events now in the long past were once in the future".

And taking a page from Twain oh I know that Pulleine, Chelmsford and Durnford all had the "calm confidence of Christians with four aces" as they saw Zulus fiddling about in front of their camp. How could they have lost!
Best selling AZW Book Ever?
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