rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:30 pm

I'm going to pick one up, I'm currently reading "A tune that they play" by William Clive and its allot of fun. Entertainment is all I ask from novels, if I want history I'll grab something by Mike Snook, Ian Knight or Adrian Greaves with regards to the Zulu wars.

If I can give the film a pass on their historical liberties, I cannot see why I wouldn't do likewise for novelists. I'm hoping Bernard Cornwell eventually explores this time period. I know its a time period well covered but I love his Sharpe & Medieval work and think he'd do marvelous work characterizing the Officer's and men of B Coy. 24th Foot 2nd Warwickshire's (sorry if I messed up the order in the regimental title there).

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 7:31 pm

"George Hart is the bastard son of a pillar of the British military establishment and a half Irish, half Zulu actress............."

A present from my wife, half price in Sainsburys, and using nectar points, so almost a freebee.

Now I know why I seldom read fiction.

Peter

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:36 am

I am about half way through it, and while Saul needs to work on a few things like his characters development (sometimes his characters naivety defies logic) & the dialogue could use some serious work, as well as some of the scenarios placing his character in key spots being far past ridiculous. Other than that I'm finding it to be quite enjoyable. I love both novels of stoic heroes of the British empire and even those of reluctant heroes, anti-heroes even more so i.e.. Flashman.

So far the books been decent, not as good a novel as say 'The tune that they play' but the main characters of both are hard to compare as they are so different.

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:16 pm

Now finished this rubbish. I can't think why I paid good money for such rot! Clearly written by someone who's never been remotely close to the military, too. Not impressed.

AMB

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 11:30 pm

Well it was working for me, up until the guy hides in the closet and finds out Crealock's dastardly deed!! Now to the real meat of my question, what the hell was David thinking portraying Bromhead & Chard as defeatist idiots who had to take their que from his main character? That actually succeeded in derailing the whole book for me.

I wanted to give this book the thumbs up but the butchering of Bromhead & Chard not to mention making Chard appear to be guilty of nothing less than fraud in receiving his VC was outrageous.

All I can say is wow. I'll be the first to admit I'm quite the novice on the subject but how he handled Rorke's Drift is downright shameful.

The good news is, to make up for this rubbish I'm going to read "How man can die better" again followed by Like Wolves on the Fold.

*edit* at best I'd award it a 2.5/5 and it only receives that because up until he ends up in S.Africa it was a pretty enjoyable book.

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:25 pm

I wasn't going to buy 'Zulu Hart', but I've just been given it as a gift today.

I'll be able to form an opinion now.

Coll

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 2:22 am

Wow, this is a pretty tough crowd. After all it's fiction-- "historical fiction", but fiction nonetheless. I'd wager that G.A.Henry's works wouldn't go over well here either. And woe to anyone who says that "Ingolorious Basterds" (never can remember the correct misspelling) wasn't too bad a movie...

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:33 pm

..."tough crowd"....

yeah, sure looks it. maybe we'll have Can anybody 'round here write a good AZW book?????". For me, I never gravitated to AZW fiction. the "big guns", you know all who you are thank you..kind of have kept me away and concentrated on those books...plenty of adventure there for me...... Wink

.

As for other authors getting into AZW fiction, I too think Cornwell if he got into it would produce something good and rousing. And I'd think it would have been interesting if Mr. Patrick O'Brian arguably the author of the "best historical novels ever written", i.e "Master and Commander" etc., would have left his nautical ways and took his writing talents and pen to the exposition of the AZW we'd get some real interesting books. Not only would we have got the great story but a fine look at character among the participants. I would have loved to get his insightful take on the "Lord" who interests me greatly in his conduct of the war against the Zulu.

Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 2:06 pm

There appears to be a new novel out in April 2010 -

Scarlet Sash: A Novel Of The Zulu Wars.
by Garry Douglas Kilworth.

As with other books not yet available, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of details about its contents.

Amazon.com has some information.

Coll

Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:30 pm

I don't know anything about the author Garry Douglas Kilworth beyond what I just googled, but he certainly has had some writing experience-- one hundred and twenty short stories and seventy novels! The man must spend twenty five hours a day writing! The fact that his genre has typically been Science Fiction ought to allow him to lend an interesting spin on the AZW.

Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:54 pm

Zulu Hart - read it, but as it is a novel, there is no point in being picky with his portrayal of the events and people who actually existed.

I can't say I'm not disappointed, I am, but I would welcome more authors to write novels based on the Anglo-Zulu War 1879, as not only would it give a break with easier reading compared to the more serious books on the subject, but would bring the campaign to the attention of a wider readership.

I think with us knowing a great deal about the events, does affect the enjoyment of anything outside of facts, unlike readers opting for a novel unaware of the actual history.

Coll

Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 11:42 pm

Sawubona wrote:

I don't know anything about the author Garry Douglas Kilworth beyond what I just googled, but he certainly has had some writing experience-- one hundred and twenty short stories and seventy novels! The man must spend twenty five hours a day writing! The fact that his genre has typically been Science Fiction ought to allow him to lend an interesting spin on the AZW.

I've read a couple of novels by Garry Kilworth, set in the Crimean War, the central character being 'Fancy Jack' Crossman. I think the series also included the Indian Mutiny and the Maori Wars. I enjoyed the ones I read, so I'll look forward to his book on the Zulu War. (It would have to be better then Saul David's effort!)

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 5:13 pm

Coll wrote:

There appears to be a new novel out in April 2010 -

Scarlet Sash: A Novel Of The Zulu Wars.
by Garry Douglas Kilworth.

As with other books not yet available, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of details about its contents.

Amazon.com has some information.

Coll

Just wondered if anyone has yet had a chance to read the above, and what their opinion is? There are a handful of reviews on Amazon, but having been very disappointed with the last few works of fiction on the AZW I'm a little hesitant to part with my hard-earned cash!

Mark Hobson

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:51 am

I've just finished the sequel to "Zulu Hart".

It's called "Hart of Empire", and deals with what became the Second Afghan War. It's set during 1879 and 1880, and covers our hero's secret mission to Afghanistan to find and recover a coat which if worn by a rebel will inspire a mutiny and rebellion against the British.

It's reasonably enjoyable, but not very good, though. The characterisations still aren't that stong, and I thought that it strayed towards "Flashman" territory (i.e. the "hero" being in the right place totally unwillingly and trying his best to get out) without being that convincing.

There's obviously going to be a third book ... and probably others ... but I wouldn't rush out and buy them, to be honest. I got this from the Library, and if I see any others I'll probably do the same - but it'll not be high on my "Must Read" list.

I see that I gave "Zulu Hart" four out of ten ... this one gets three out of ten!

Smile