Zulu Rising

The definitive account of the epic clash between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom, based on groundbreaking research and previously unpublished material.

In Zulu Rising, Ian Knight delivers a comprehensive and balanced exploration of the battle of iSandlwana, the single most destructive incident in the 150-year history of British colonisation in South Africa. On one bloody day, over 800 British troops, 500 of their allies, and at least 2,000 Zulus were killed in a staggering defeat for the British Empire that echoed brutally across the following decades.

Drawing on new research, including previously unpublished material, Zulu oral history, and fresh archaeological evidence from the battlefield, Knight shows that the battle's brutality resulted from an inevitable clash between two aggressive warrior traditions. He gives full weight to the Zulu experience and examines the reality of the fighting through the eyes of men on both sides, delving into the human heart of this savage conflict.

Thorough and definitive, Zulu Rising uses first-hand sources, both Zulu and British, with admirable even-handedness to illuminate a battle that has shaped the political fortunes of the Zulu people to this day.