rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic - Black Soldiers Of The Queen. by P.S. Thompson

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:11 pm

Full title - ' Black Soldiers Of The Queen: The Natal Native Contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War 1879.'

Apparently, this book isn't published/available until next month, but it appears to cover the N.N.C. in great detail.

However, there is a chance that I may be wrong and it is already available. If so, can anyone give details on its contents ?

And...I apologise being a bore... but is there any reference to Col. Durnford's involvement in their formation ?

Thanks

Coll

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:40 pm

Coll

It was released August 27 here in the States as a revision to the 1997 edition, Amazon US has only one left. I ordered a copy previously and will let you know what it contains on Durnford when I get it but it seems to deal mostly with the NNC. The review by the Journal of Military History contains an interesting blurb :

�The literature on the Anglo-Zulu War contains very little about the NNC, for reasons that are partly political, partly cultural. During the imperial era, Europeans were not interested in diminishing their own exploits by extolling those of their native [allies]. And in the wake of empire, the African had no desire to glorify them. To many in the current generation, the NNC [were] egregiously incorrect politically and best forgotten [but] this would scant the part played in the Anglo-Zulu War by the province of Natal."

Given that, perhaps P.S. Thompson has included some of Durnford's words as the Col. was one of the few who did extoll their virtues at the time. Not to mention his tireless role in providing for their organization.

Best

Michael

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:51 pm

Thanks Michael.

On looking at the front cover illustration of the book (although I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover) it appears to show Natal Native Horse, rather than the N.N.C.

However, wasn't there a recent discussion which mentioned the N.N.H. were also termed Natal Native Mounted Contingent ?

In this respect, Durnford's Horse as well as Durnford himself may also be covered along with the infantry version of the N.N.C.

Does seem a good book on the subject of the native units.

I'll look forward to more details about its contents, hopefully securing a copy myself at some stage.

Thanks again

Coll

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:54 pm

Coll

I have had the pleasure of meeting and corresponding with Paul Thompson, an American expatriate who has lived in KZN for very many years. Before his retirment, he was a Professor of History at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. His book was originally self-published but a second edition was published by Brevitas a couple of years later. In this new edition, he wrote in the Preface:

"When the Natal Native Contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War 1879 appeared in 1997, it was printed privately in a limited edition. The author had supposed that a book on an important aspect of the war which had not been examined before would be taken up by a commercial or institutional press, and was surprised when a publsiher told him, yes, the war indeed was popular, but this aspect would not be: white readers were not interested in blacks outside the simplistic British-Zulu confrontation, and black readership such as it is was an inefficient market. So the book was printed privately, the small stock was sold almost immediately, and for years there have been requests for copies which could not be supplied. Finally, it has been decided to reprint the book."

I am personally delighted that Paul's work has finally been recognised for the outstanding work of scholarship that it is. The work covers not only the NNC itself, but also the mounted black auxiliaries and the Natal Pioneers, another less-known brainchild of A.W. Durnford. The second edition is still available through a number of bookshops, especially in KZN, so check it out on abebooks.com.

KIS

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:37 pm

Keith

Thankyou for the detailed information.

Coll

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:50 pm

Keith

You are close - not abebooks, but:

Dennis Slotow
[email protected]
ABC Bookshop
Lower Quarry Centre
PO Box 642
Hilton KwaZulu Natal 3245
South Africa
Phone: 033 343 3996
Web Page: http://www.abcbook.co.za

Am I the only person to have been there?? All these armchair surfers - however Dennis will send you an email list - isn't life easy.

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:20 pm

Martin

You are right, of course, but abebooks.com will get you to ABC Books. I have been to the shop at Hilton many times and know Denis quite well. He is no longer there, having opened a second shop at Umhlanga.

Readers might also care to look up Quathlamba Winds Books at Underberg, KZN. Ian Halford, a British expat., keeps many AZW titles including Denis Barker's story of his grandfather(?) W.W. Barker. The book is called Zulus at Bay: A Colonial Chronicle and runs to more than 300 pages. Ian has multiple copies of the book.

KIS

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:41 pm

Yes, always trawl abebooks.com for 2nd hand titles - or even new(ish) ones, like Denis Barker's. Addall has also been recommended because it apparently includes all abebooks titles & more, but it didn't seem to when I tried it and I've stuck with abebooks for years now.

It's nice getting to know some of the booksellers in RSA, even if only by email. I, too, can vouch for good service from Ian Halford at Underberg. Worst thing about importing titles from RSA is the eccentric S African Post Office!!!

Although I'm sure we all still love the atmosphere of 2nd hand bookshops, the reality is that many were going under - or having to rely entirely on mail order from home & having to produce regular catalogues. The internet has saved many of them and a huge number now rely on abebooks.com for a large slice of their income. I try to do my bit by identifying the title on abebooks but contacting the dealer & paying direct, as well as striking up some personal contact.

Further, we cannot deny that nowadays we can "home in" worldwide on titles we would never, ever have located otherwise and, in some cases, didn't even know existed, not to mention being able to choose the condition, price and even the country from which we want to order it.

Whenever a book arrives from a S African dealer - especially one that has perhaps never left that country in a century or more - is there not a frisson of excitement as one handles it for the first time & speculates on the identity of previous owners? Occasionally some unexpected provenance can provide additional pleasure.

I'm currently girding my loins for another forthcoming raid on RSA dealers, even if only by phone or email, although James Stuart's & Shula Marks' Bambatha histories will just have to wait yet again, now that all the recent centenary publicity has sent their values through the roof! Time for a reprint? (Wouldn't be suggesting that if I had a first edition of each).

Peter

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:19 pm

Peter

You might like to know that, coincidentally, Paul Thompson's latest works are about Bambatha. Look for his two works: Bambatha at Mpanza: the making of a rebel and An Hisorical Atlas of the Zulu Rebellion of 1906.

KIS

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:24 pm

Thanks Keith. The first was already in my sights but I shall also include the second. Oh well, "in for a penny, in for a pound!"

Peter

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:13 pm

Ordered a copy of 'Black Soldiers of the Queen' today.

Hopefully will get it in the next couple of weeks Very Happy

Michael

I'll look forward to maybe having a chat about the contents after I've read it. I'm sure it will be a very interesting book on the native units.

Coll

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:57 pm

No Martin, you're not the only one - I once spent a very enjoyable 1/2 hr in ABC bookshop. And have continued to purchase books via the excellent postal service since.

AMB

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 9:34 pm

Sounds good Coll, after all it's been nearly a year since our last wading into the fray. (Have to line up a new angle first though! Perhaps this book will offer that.)

MAB

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:34 am

Michael

I saw your positive opinion of this book on another topic. So, tell me, is it as detailed as we hoped, and any mention of Durnford's involvement ?

Thanks

Coll

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:20 pm

Coll,
who is this 'Durnford' bloke you keep mentioning?