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The Washing Of The Spears

The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation Under Shaka and its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879

Donald R Morris

$69.99

Paperback

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English
Pimlico
09 December 1994
An accomplished and vibrant history of the Zulu nation at the height of British imperial power.

In 1879, armed only with their spears, their rawhide shields, and their incredible courage, the Zulus challenged the might of Victorian England and, initially, inflicted on the British the worst defeat a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men without guns.

This is the definitive account of the rise of the Zulu nation under the great ruler Shaka and its fall under Cetshwayo. The story is studded with tales of drama and heroism- the Battle of Isandhlwana, where the Zulu army wiped out the major British column; and Rorke's Drift, where a handful of British troops beat off thousands of Zulu warriors and won eleven Victoria Crosses.

Acclaimed for its scholarship, its monumental range, and its spellbinding readability, The Washing of the Spears is a gripping portrait of not just the Zulu War of 1879, but also of Britain's colonial policy at this moment.

By:  
Imprint:   Pimlico
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Edition:   New edition
Dimensions:   Height: 231mm,  Width: 154mm,  Spine: 50mm
Weight:   844g
ISBN:   9780712661058
ISBN 10:   0712661050
Pages:   672
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  ELT Advanced ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Reviews for The Washing Of The Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation Under Shaka and its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879

This has everything its subtitle promises, and more: it will run to nearly 900 pages and has a long, long bibliography. While hardly the book to consult for a fast grasp of the outlines of Zulu history, it provides a sweeping, all-inclusive military, political, and personal record, and if properly indexed it will surely be very valuable to scholars. For the less dedicated reader (again, dependent on indexing and careful chapter headings), there are several sections well worth finding, especially the brightly-written romantic chapter on Louis Napoleon and how he came to die in Africa fighting for the English. The creation of a unified nation of Zulus, the quirks of Boer politics, the vacillation of the British before deciding to annex Zululand, and the mistakes made by the first colonial administration after the war was over, all in certain ways set the stage for the troubles of southern Africa as we know them in recent times, and Morris analyzes them thoroughly. He also provides a capsule guide to Zulu spelling and pronounciation, but it is a question how much that will aid the average reader in wading through a book with more than its share of names like isaNgqu, umXhapo, and Gqikazi. (Kirkus Reviews)


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