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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:58 pm

David

Philip Gon's book tells the story of the 24th Regiment in South Africa, 1875 - 1879, and the 1/24th in particular. You may find it a 'good read' but it is not entirely to be relied upon, especially with regard to Isandlwana. As I recall, for example, he wrote that an officer at Helpmekaar mentioned the eclipse on 22 January in his diary. Not true. I saw the diary at Brecon and the eclipse reference is printed by the publisher. I think there was some discussion on this on a much earlier thread. Better stick with Jackson, I think.

KIS

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:56 pm

David

Gon's book is a'good read' as Keith says, so much so, I'm hoping to replace my copy, missing some images, at some stage, but I think it's a bit pricey thesedays.

Last time I saw it, it cost � 65.00.

Roll on the end of this dreadful recession.

Coll

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:52 pm

Coll

I must tell you that I didn't say it was a good read, and I put the two words in quote marks to indicate that.

You can buy a pb version of the book for US$12 and a bit more for a hardback copy. Check it out on www.abebooks.com.

KIS

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:38 pm

Keith

Apologies. I've never really understood some punctuation marks, although I use much in my posts, even though I don't exactly know what they mean. Wink

I didn't know the book was available in paperback.

I'll have a look.

Thanks

Coll

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:25 pm

I've seen Gon's book, hard back edition on ebay for no more then 15 - 20 USD, so an easy pick up. I bought mine from a local shop, hard back for 20 CDN.

Regards,

David

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:51 am

I notice Ian Knight's book appears to cover a bit more in-depth, the Zulu perspective of Isandlwana, so I do understand the front cover illustration of a Zulu warrior.

However, I'm still of the opinion, that at least one new Isandlwana publication should have Col. D. present on the front cover.

I've lost count how many times the same image of the 24th's last stand painting has been used, but whether it is this recognisable image draws people to the book shelves, rather than a new type of illustration, I know not.

It annoys me greatly, seeing how Gen. Custer appears regularly on LBH books, but the same is not the case for the senior officer at Isandlwana, whose image is constantly concealed within the book itself.

His well-known portrait would look great on the front, or even an accurate life-like illustration, depicting him in the uniform shown in Ian Knight's 'Zulu' book, eye-catching in itself.

I say, come on, bring the man out into the light, instead of hidden away amongst the pages.

His image has stayed in the shadows long enough !

Sorry, long time no rant. Wink

Coll

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:44 pm

You know when I looked at the title of Mr. Knight's book I was a bit surprised. I was surprised because a while back we were discussing Prof Laband's comment about where does AZW history and its contemporary research go from here on. If I'm not mistaken it was alleged that everything that could perhaps be said about Isandhlwana has been well said already. If that is true then I'd be curious as to the approach Mr. Knight's book will take. It just can't be another exposition so I'd think something really new will be in there or perhaps a different emphasis when looking at the battle.

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:41 pm

Coll

May I detect the fact that you are just a little bit biased ?

Graham

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:53 pm

Greetings:

I believe the items referred to by David are:

Morris, D. "Isandhlwana." Soldiers of the Queen, Journal of the Victorian Military Society 29/30 (1982): 3-22, 33.

Jackson, F.W.D. �Isandlwana Revisited: A Letter to the Editor.� Soldiers of the Queen, Journal of the Victorian Military Society 33 (July 1983): 9-20.

Good reading!
Harold

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:53 pm

Graham

No. Well, maybe just a tad.

However, I do believe in balance, as for all the 24th lost the most men at Isandlwana, they were not the only units there, unlike LBH, where it was mostly 7th Cavalry.

It could work the other way, by saying similar about the constant illustrations of the 24th on front covers of Isandlwana books, but no others.

Matching said covers with those of other units. I'm not even sure there are many, if any, showing the 24th on the front with other units fighting alongside them.

A pointless point, but it niggles me greatly.

Coll

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:42 pm

Coll

It's to do with the nature of the publishing beast. Jackets have to be eye-catching and the final call on what goes on there rests with publishers not with authors. Your hero would, I'm afraid, go unrecognised and unremarked, not by AZW bores like us, but by book buyers of the browsing kind. C'est la vie. But don't give up the ship.

Regards as ever

Mike

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:39 am

Mike

Always glad, although it doesn't seem at times ( Wink

) of your input.

A kinda unfair advantage, don't you think ?

Never fear, I won't give up the ship.

I'll go down with it !

Coll

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:18 pm

Gon's account of Isandlwana is a skilful assembling of material from diverse sources and is well written in a fast-moving, almost dashing, literary style. Certainly "a good read" - but then so was the account Morris left us, and one would hardly go to TWOTS today for a reliable account of the battle. Understandably, given the high profile TWOTS enjoyed in those days, Gon appears to have followed Morris closely on many aspects, even down to those much maligned ammunition box screws, although he doesn't follow the route of Morris's "ammunition shortage" theory anything like as slavishly as some, nor - in a quick re-read - can I see that he lays much of the blame on the fleeing NNC, although I suspect the position of this unit on his series of sketch-maps will raise some modern eyebrows. (I believe he gets the 24th Coys in the right order, though).

In fact, in much of the first part of the battle, Gon appears to want to relate the story from Pulleine's point of view, telling the reader what he could see and hear at this and that point, what he then did as a result and even what he must have been thinking at any given time. It is certainly an interesting way in which to describes the action, and - like all authors on Isandlwana - he has had to fit into his narrative a wide series of events and developments happening at the same time in different places, and he certainly weaves it all in very skilfully, but there is always the suspicion (possibly unfounded?) that speculation has played its part, if not quite on Morrissian levels. All the familiar little incidents are there, and woven into the story well, but is he accurate with the major developments? Is it now a little out-dated? Is it too close to Morris's version? (That's not necessarily to suggest that all of the more recently published accounts on the battle hold water as far as some of the claimed "revelations" imply).

The absence of footnotes to his sources is not too disastrous (nor unusual for the time) as far as Isandlwana is concerned, because the related incidents are all well known and the bibliography is excellent. For most readers, I'd suggest the absence of footnotes is a drawback as far as the 9FW is concerned, but again the bibliography appears to be good (for 1979).

Gon for "the good read" - Jackson for the antithesis of Gon or Morris in his unvarnished account. And Ian Knight for reliability, too, with a (perfectly acceptable) less prosaic style than Jackson and so always extremely readable, without - thankfully, in my opinion - quite the Boys' Own Paper "derring-do" approach of some.

Peter

Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:55 pm

Hark I hear the rattling drums of the Old Guard.....

Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:21 am

Really, Mike? Hardly! Presumably Morris & Gon would represent your Old Guard, the former especially so? But then Jackson is their approximate contemporary, research & publishing-wise at least, yet was so very New Guard at the time. And, because Morris is still in print (I think), Jackson must still be regarded very much as the New Guard, drums rattling (or should that be drums beating, as sabres are supposed to rattle!) as he comes to the rescue, hopefully dragging some of the newer New Guard in his wake ...

Peter