The Zulus were a fiercely independent and extremely brave warrior race. When the might of the British army was defeated by this indigenous foe at Isandlwana in 1879, it sent shock waves throughout the Empire - 1300 British troops and their African allies were killed. In the aftermath, Zulu reserves mounted a raid on a British border post at Rorke's Drift, which was held by just 145 men. After ten hours of ferocious fighting the Zulus were driven away. Eventually superior weaponry carried the day for the British, (though not before the exiled French prince, Louis Napoleon, was killed in a skirmish). Invading Zululand, the British took the capital of Ulundi and 5,000 British defeated 20,000 Zulus. King Cetewayo was captured and the war was over.

Ian Knight draws on a host of previously unpublished letters and diaries, from ordinary soldiers to the British commander-in-chief, to bring to life this extraordinary war - one which saw great acts of bravery and courage on both sides.

'This book is good enough to create another surge of interest in the war' Soldier

'Everyone, from the novice reading his first book on the subject, to the knowledgeable expert, will find something new and engrossing' Military Illustrated