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The Sun Turned Black Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift 1879
ANDY LEE


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 167
Location: Bournville,West Midlands, UK
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Anyone any ideas where I can locate a copy of 'The Sun Turned Black Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift 1879' - Ian Knight, in the UK.

Cheers

Andy

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Andy Lee
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mike snook 2


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 920
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Andy

I could be wrong but I think this is an alternate (possibly overseas edition) name for one of Ian's books which was published here under a more familar title. I'm not with my stuff at present - I imagine somebody will be able to come on and give you chapter and verse. If I have time I'll have a shufti at the internet because I would recognize them by sight.

I just mention it because there are few things more irritating than opening a newly arrived package and realizing you already have the book in your collection.

Regards

Mike
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Andy

Mike is correct. My copy of The Sun Turned Black was bought in S Africa (in fact at Isandlwana) and was published in RSA in 1995. It had earlier been published by Windrow & Greene in England under the title Zulu; Isandlwana & Rorke's Drift, 22-23 January 1879. Luckily I knew this was the case and didn't have a copy of the UK version, but had seen my brother-in-law's copy already - a large format hard-back if I recall, whereas my TSTB is a paperback.

I'm not aware if there are any illustrations in the earlier version but TSTB has none, other than the excellent maps.

Peter

P.S. A similar example can be seen with Prof Laband's Rope of Sand; The Rise & Fall of the Zulu Nationwhich appears here only under the book's sub-title in the Arms & Armour Press edition of 1997, having first appeared in RSA under the fuller title in 1995. Interestingly, it looks as if unbound copies were imported to the UK, bound with the shorter title on the spine (the dust jacket also making no mention of the former title) as the text itself is headed with Rope of Sand on all 517 pages of the book!


Last edited by Peter Ewart on Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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mike snook 2


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 920
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Didn't immediately spot an image but I did spot some daft prices for second hand paperbacks. I'm pretty sure this is the paperback South African edition of Ian' s excellent hardbook back published here as 'Zulu: [bla bla something or other] ...Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. ' Lovely big format book, tons of good photos and some nice colour plates of uniforms. Came in a series of a such books with a grey-silver background colour to the jacket. It's bigger than A4 size, about 3/4 of an inch thick. Others in the series were Light Brigade, Waterloo, 21st Lancers at Omdurman, Monte Cassino, Pathan Rising of 97, - they are really nice books.

The Sun turned black edition has the words and the maps but none of the rest. Looking at the amazon prices I saw quoted for it, I would say you would stand a very good chance of getting the full monty hardback UK version as cheaply, or possibly for even less than the South African paperback.

Of course you might be collecting books by edition and be specifically after this one for all I know. But if its the content you're after you would get an inferior edition for a daft price. If nobosy else comes in with an ISBN I'll pop back and quote it in a few days.

As ever

Mike
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mike snook 2


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 920
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There we go - Peter is on the case too. So save your money would my advice and go after the much sexier hard-back edition under the details quoted by Peter.

M

Peter - have you got it to hand? Are you able to quote an ISBN?
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Mike/Andy

I only have TSTB, not the hardback Zulu, as once I had acquired the RSA paperback I didn't seek the earlier one.

The ISBN of TSTB is 1-874959-02-1, if that helps at all. Someone else will have to quote theISBN of the other version.

Peter
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mike snook 2


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 920
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Andy

Contact me through the private message board - I have found a copy of the pukka hardback being advertised for an insanely cheap price.

Regards

Mike
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Coll
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If it was previously the title from the silver series as mentioned above, I got my hardback copy for � 20.00 (excluding postage), but considering the original price of the hardback version was � 35.00, it was a great bargain.

The colour plates are outstanding.

My copy has ISBN 1-872004-23-7 marked on the inside.

Coll
mike snook 2


Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 920
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Thanks Coll. Excellent. That's the one, Andy.

M
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Mark Hobson


Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 106
Location: Halifax
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The large-format, coffee table book in my opinion is one of the best books on Isandlwana, beautifully written and as allways with Ian's work, highly researched. A must-have definitely. Filled throughout with great maps and photos. Strange that it never gets referred to very often, as it really is good.
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AMB


Joined: 07 Oct 2005
Posts: 921
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The original book, Zulu; Isandlwana & Rorke's Drift, 22-23 January 1879, is a beautiful publication. The plates making it worth the �35 cover price.
The Sun Turned Black was a mass market re-print of the earlier book, minus the wonderful plates. It seems that was published only in RSA. I wonder why no UK publishing house has not picked up this [later] format for re-print?

Interestingly, copies of Zulu; Isandlwana & Rorke's Drift, 22-23 January 1879 are available from the Net from �16, whereas, The Sun Turned Black is from �38. Very odd!

AMB
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ANDY LEE


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 167
Location: Bournville,West Midlands, UK
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Dear All

Thank you all for your help - Very much appreciated.

Andy

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The Sun Turned Black Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift 1879
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