Zulus at War ─ The History, Rise, and Fall of the Tribe That Washed Its Spears

By tracing the long and turbulent history of the Zulus from their arrival in South Africa and the establishment of Zululand, The Zulus at War is an important and readable addition to this popular subject area. It describes the violent rise of King Shaka and his colorful successors, under whose leadership the warrior nation built a fearsome fighting reputation without equal among the native tribes of South Africa. Author and Anglo-Zulu war expert Adrian Greaves supplements the historical narrative with an examination of the tactics and weapons employed during the numerous intertribal battles over this period. The text goes on to chronicle the Sekunini War of 1877 and 1878, in which the Zulus would defeat the Boers and prompt the well-documented British intervention.

Initially the might of the British Empire was humbled as never before by the shocking Zulu victory at Isandlwana, but the 1879 war ended with the brutal crushing of the Zulu Nation. However, as Greaves reveals, this was by no means the end of the story. The little-known consequences of the division of Zululand, the Boer War, and the 1906 Zulu Rebellion are analyzed in fascinating detail. An added merit of this long-awaited history is written not just by a leading authority but, thanks to the coauthor’s contribution, from the Zulu perspective using completely fresh material, making this unique among most popular histories. This paperback edition also features a new introduction from Greaves.

Adrian Greaves, a former soldier and senior police officer, has devoted the past twenty years of his life to studying the Anglo-Zulu War. He is the founder of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society and the author of numerous works, including the bestselling Rorke’s Drift, to which this book is a worthy companion. He and his wife live at Tenterden, Kent, United Kingdom.

Xolani Mkhize listened to Adrian Greaves’s lectures at Rorke’s Drift as a curious teenager. He then worked for David Rattray becoming an accredited battlefield guide. As the manager of the Rorke’s Drift Zulu Village, he is a popular member of the local community. Being from the Mkhize tribe makes him well placed to understand Zulu history and culture. He lives in Natal Province, South Africa.

Ian Knight is an acknowledged authority on the Anglo-Zulu War and the history of the Zulu Kingdom. He has written over thirty books on South African history, including Zulu Rising.