rorkesdriftvc.com Forum Index


rorkesdriftvc.com
Discussions related to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879
Reply to topic
"Must Have" books
Alekudemus


Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Posts: 147
Location: Monmouthshire/Gwent
Reply with quote
Please can everyone chip in with books they think are essential to a reader of these forums.

1 The Noble 24th Norman Holme
2 England's Sons Julian Whybra
3 Hill of the Sphinx R.W.D. Jackson

I already have the above. What would people suggest next.
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mailVisit poster's website
peterw


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 865
Location: UK
Reply with quote
Nothing Remains But to Fight

The Zulu War: Then and Now

Zulu - this and the above by Ian Knight

Anything by Lock & Quantrill, ditto Mike Snook, although I believe Mike's first book better than the follow-up.

Rorke's Drift by Those Who Were There - Stevenson and Baynham Jones

And, for the film, Sheldon Hall's book is without equal.

Peter
View user's profileSend private message
Robert John


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 205
Location: The Netherlands
Reply with quote
All the above and don't forget John Laband.

_________________
R J Jones
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Wobblefilms


Joined: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 24
Reply with quote
I always found The Washing of the Spears a very good read
And The Red Soldier by Fred Emery was very good as it contains many soldiers first hand accounts (via letters home)
View user's profileSend private message
peterw


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 865
Location: UK
Reply with quote
It's a while since I read The Red Soldier but agree that it should be on the list.

Peter
View user's profileSend private message
Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
Reply with quote
Alekudemus

A bit difficult to list the books which are essential as they all bring different aspects to one's knowledge of the AZW and also to one's reading enjoyment. Still ...


Essential works for factual knowledge & research reference:

Whybra - England's Sons
Smith - Local General Orders
WO - Field Ops Narrative (despite its faults).
Holme - Noble 24th
Young - They Fell Like Stones
L&Q - The Red Book

AZW generally:

Knight/Castle - Then & Now
Laband/ARS - Chelmsford's ZW campaign
Emery - Red Soldier
Knight - Brave Men's Blood (for a general intro)
(I'm sure Sonia Clarke should be included here but I've yet to splash out!).

From the Zulu aspect:

Laband - Kingdom in Crisis


RD & Isandlwana:

Jackson - Hill of the Sphinx
Knight - Nothing Remains etc
Knight - The Sun Turned Black
Stevenson & Baynam-Jones - RD by Those who were There
Coupland - Zulu Battle Piece (out of date doesn't mean no good).
L&Q's & Snook's recent offerings, in order to be able to argue the toss!

Zulu history, including AZW:

Fuze - The Black People etc
Laband - Rope of Sand
Taylor - Shaka's Children (includes 20th cent)
Roberts - The Zulu Kings
Gibson - The Story of the Zulus (for the contemporary feel!)

Anything by the Colensos & all four of Guy's works. Krige, Binns etc on Zulu history & culture but Bryant perhaps unconvincing these days? Even TV Bulpin - very readable indeed.

There are too many others to list which are wonderful but I reckon the above are essential for their own different reasons & will get anyone started & enable them to understand all sides of any argument. But it's still rather incomplete! Thompson, Gon, Duminy & Ballard, etc should all be there. Also omitted most contemporary memoirs such as Moodie, W-E & Ashe, Montague, Molyneux, Hamilton-Browne, S/Dorrien, Wood, Bellairs & Grenfell etc.

Search, too, for the best of the articles & papers published over the years, especially in RSA (Journal of SAMHS etc) or, for example, in SOTQ in GB.

All a bit hurried - am bound to have left out some pretty obvious ones!

Peter
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Johnny_H


Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 101
Location: Canada, Halifax Nova Scotia
Reply with quote
awsome thread!

ill try to check out some of these.

_________________
"It looks, er, jolly simple doesn't it? (Bromhead to Adendorff)
Jolly deadly old boy! (Adendorff) "
View user's profileSend private messageMSN Messenger
reading material
George-Bean


Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Leicester
Reply with quote
In Zululand with the British Throughout the war of 1879 has a really good feel about it when reading. Its by Charles L Norris-Newman and it tweaked perspectives I had given no real though too before.

I also Enjoyed James Bancrofts books about the mens lives who took part in the Anglo Zulu wars, nice and simple but of interest from the norm.

On another point, I think you would find Shaka Zulu a very interesting series, I think its still available and a nice insight into The Zulu.

Kind Regards.

George-Bean
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Paul Bryant-Quinn
Guest

Reply with quote
Further to Peter's mention of Sonia Clarke, her books are:

Invasion of Zuluand, 1879[:] Anglo-Zulu War experiences of Arthur Harness; John Jervis, 4th Viscount St Vincent; and Sir Henry Bulwer (Johannesburg: Brenthurst Press, 1979)

Zululand at War, 1879[:] the conduct of the Anglo-Zulu War (Johannesburg: Brenthurst Press, 1984).

Personally, I think they are a 'must-have' (or at least, a 'must read'!!)

Paul
Rich
Guest

Reply with quote
All...I'd like to ask....most contentious or controversial book ever written either historically or in the modern day on the AZW? Thanks ahead........
Robert John


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 205
Location: The Netherlands
Reply with quote
Many enthusiasts would love to read Sonia Clarke's books but they are very expensive to buy---why?
I know you can read/order them from a library but that's not the same as
owning your own copy!

Robert

_________________
R J Jones
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Alekudemus


Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Posts: 147
Location: Monmouthshire/Gwent
Reply with quote
17th June 2003 Peter Quantrill
Peter,
The answer is perhaps twofold. First the scarcity value which is obvious.Second and more important ---the contents.The work of Sonia Clarke ranks arguably amongst the best published on the AZW. The letters of Crealock,Clery and Harness are utterly revealing and give an insight to their inner thoughts.Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that their private letters would over a century later become public domain. No disciple of the AZW should be without a copy or have access to one.
The half leather bound numbered copies 1--125 would obviously command a premium over the 850 cloth bound unnumbered version. It is interesting to note that 25 copies in full leather and lettered A to Y were not sold. They were distributed privately by Harry Oppenheimer under a covering letter to a circle of select friends.Since 1984 only 5 of these copies have come onto the market.
The contents are deserving of a wider audience and with this in mind I have approached The Brenthurst Press in Johannesburg. Whilst nothing may come of this, the matter of republishing in perhaps a different format is being put on the Agenda of their next Board meeting.
Peter


I hope Peter doesn't mind me lifting this off the old website but it is such a comprehensive answer it deserves to be re-stated.

Jon
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mailVisit poster's website
Rich
Guest

Reply with quote
Alekudemus:
The letters should be fascinating in what they could project on the goings on at the British high command level. Why recently a new batch of Nelson letters were recently published giving more background to study on an already famous individual.
Today book publishing is run as a tough business. I'd hope that some sort of accomodation could be found perhaps creative enough where the pub house could make a profit and get those letters published to a wider audience. Hope you can keep us posted on this.
Alekudemus


Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Posts: 147
Location: Monmouthshire/Gwent
Reply with quote
Hi Rich,
Peter Quantrill posted the info originally on the old site three years ago. Doesn't look like anything much has happened since then unfortunately. Pity, as they look a more than interesting read.

Jon
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mailVisit poster's website
Rich
Guest

Reply with quote
Well heck maybe I should write the Brenthurst Press too..eh? Nothing ventured nothing gained.
"Must Have" books
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
All times are GMT  
Page 1 of 4  

  
  
 Reply to topic