The Washing of the Spears: A History of the Rise of the Zulu Nation under Shaka and Its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879 : Rise and Fall of the Great Zulu Nation

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In addition, the small print and large paragraphs also made the book more difficult to read through my normal method. (I tend to in depth skim :D) At the time Morris was writing, he was also pursuing something relatively novel in the history of colonial wars -- he tried to reconstruct the perspective of the Zulus. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons that an American historian wrote the seminal work on the war. Until Washing of the Spears, the war was understood through the journals of the participants and the long simmering military debate on responsibility for Isandlwana. Morris changed that by trying to give a more complete picture of the motivations of all combatants. Ah well... the Rorke's Drift chapter was, I think, my favourite in that I had seen parts of Zulu numerous times (though not all the way through) and reading about the actual events was really interesting (having now watched the film fully for the first time ever having read this, and assuming the book to be accurate - the film takes a few (a lot) liberties with the events but is generally (I think) well portrayed)). I'm actually going to be skimming through that section again now as I don't recall it mentioning Chard who is a key character in the film.

I am pleased to say, The Washing of the Spears long held reputation as a classic of military history is well earned. Morris was an American naval officer in the 40s and a CIA agent when he wrote this work of immense quality and deep scholarship. Of course, much of the material is dated, but that cannot detract from its accomplishment. To this day, many refer to it as the seminal work on the Anglo-Zulu Wars. No doubt, that is as much a tribute to the quality of the narrative prose as it is to the research. Equally apparent is the incredible odds able to be overcome by even a tiny force when properly arrayed with modern weaponry. Only significant human error permitted Isandlwana. A 20-1 advantage in manpower is readily overcome when breach-loading rifles face spears. Later, the war took a darkly farcical turn, as the Prince Imperial – only son of Napoleon III, living in exile in England – made his way to South Africa, only to get himself killed. Made famous internationally famous by Henry Cele’s towering performance in the 1986 miniseries Shaka Zulu, the founder of the Zulu nation lives up to his billing. Not unlike Napoleon, with whom he was a contemporary, Shaka was a martial genius, who used the force of arms to unite various tribes into a powerful kingdom that ruled southern Africa. Shaka’s unique insights, his complex motivations, his intense relationship with his mother, and his mercurial nature, all combine to make him a dramatist’s dream.I also found the section on the Imperial Prince to be interesting - I had heard of Eugenie but had no idea who she actually was.

River. There are chapters on the settlement of Natal and subsequent intrigues in the governance of the area and the build up to the intervention of British regular troops leading to the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana where a British army was wiped out to a man followed by the courageous defence at Rorke’s Drift (11 Victoria Crosses were awarded after this action - the most of any single action). Further actions are covered to the Battle of Ulundi & the final defeat of the Zulus & the capture of Cetshwayo, the Zulu king who was still confused as to the reason for the war & British Invasion. Covering the history of Natal and the Zulu nation from the 17th century until the end of the 19th century, this book is an exhaustive yet very engaging chronicle of a war started deliberately by the British, fought bravely by both sides, and ultimately leading to the destruction of the greatest military power ever seen in sub-Saharan Africa. The second – and larger – section of The Washing of the Spears concerns the British invasion of Zululand in 1879, and the bloody conflict that followed. Not super widely known, the battles of the Anglo-Zulu War were intense, closely fought affairs, often devolving into face-to-face combat pitting bayonet against spear. Without skipping a beat – though clearly missing the star of the show – Morris continues the Zulu story through Dingane and Mpande. Meanwhile, the British settlement at Port Natal, which Shaka could have snuffed in a heartbeat, continued to grow, setting the stage for part two.Though skewed both narratively and historically, those movies spurred me to the library to learn more. At the time, however, there were not a lot of books to choose from. In fact, Donald R. Morris’s The Washing of the Spears was the only title available. Morris lived in Houston, Texas from 1972. He was news analyst and writer on foreign affairs for the Houston Post from 1972 to 1989. [4] [3] In 1989, he founded the Trident Syndicate which published its own foreign affairs periodical, the Donald R. Morris Newsletter, until 2002. [4] [3] Morris was also a commercial pilot and a Certified Flight Instructor for instrument flight.