Product Description
This study argues that the Zulu kingdom did not emerge as a revolutionary outburst; rather, that state formation among the northern Nguni-speaking peoples of Southern Africa began as much as a half-century before Shaka. The evidence suggests that this process began among lowland chiefdoms as a defensive response to the incursions of upland pastoralists. Lowland chiefdoms transformed traditional circumcision sets into multi-functional "amabutho" for better defence and productivity. When famine occurred in the early 1800s, major ruling houses made use of disciplined age-set regiments to compete for desirable ecological zones. The Zulu leader Shaka (c1787-1828) based his expansionary programme on these versatile "amabutho" and from them forged a centralized state. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published as "Rope of Sand" in South Africa, this account of the dramatic emergence and decline of the Zulu kingdom in the 19th century is the culmination of 15 years of research. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

FOR THOSE INTO S. AFRICAN Hx only
If you are not well versed in 19th century South African Hx, try another volume.But if you are, an excellent but detailed book.The names of the leaders are difficult to follow, not due to the author's lack of trying.

Accurate; written in a brilliant and entertaining style.
There can be no doubt that, of all the books written on Zulu history, this is the kingpin of them all. It is doubtful that any author will exceed thework done here by Laband. The book is painstakingly written, with anincredible eye for detail, and it remains at all times entertaining andabsorbing. There are also shortcomings, although these cannot be construedas downfalls. The most striking is that while Professor Laband is theultimate expert on the reign of Dingane and beyond, he does not dedicatenearly as much attention to the early years of the Zulu kingdom,particularly from 1787 to 1828. This is regrettable, but understandableconsidering that there is so much that remains unknown and mired inmythology with respect to Shaka's era. Lastly, Laband's attention todetail, particularly noticeable in the Notes section and in the index,makes this a book no self-respecting Zulu scholar can be without. ... Read more

Product Description
The Zulus were great warriors, and this book recalls 10 of the most notable ones, from King Shaka to Bambathia Zondi. Each account includes details of Zulu forces, weaponry, tactics and achievements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

At last, a look at the men behind the Zulu kings.
It is easy to be suspicious of the way in which Ian Knight churns out books on the Zulu, as if he were a machine rather than a hard-workingauthor. But that would be an unfair assumption. Knight researches his booksthoroughly, and give or take the odd minor error, he excels at what hedoes. This latest offering is my favourite Knight book because, at last, weget something that looks beyond the Zulu kings (although there are chapterson Shaka and Cetshwayo)and examines some of the men who helped them buildthe Zulu kingdom. Some of Knight's choices as the ten great Zulu commandersare bewildering. He includes Ntshingwayo kaMahole, the Swazi prince MbilinikaMswati, Cetshwayo's rash and blundering half-brother Dabulamanzi and evenBambata (of Bambata Rebellion fame), but declines chapters on Shaka'sbrilliant general, Mdlaka kaNcidi; perhaps the most famous Zulu warrior ofall, Zulu kaNogondaya; and, to a lesser degree, Mpande's faithful oldcommander Nongalaza kaNondela, who ensured that Mpande defeated Dingane atMagqonga hills in 1840. That aside, one can't help but marvel at the mannerin which Knight has put this book together. It is a great read as thepersonal lives of the great Zulu warriors have been totally ignored by mosthistorians. ... Read more

Product Description
This work is aimed primarily at those who wish to become closer acquainted with the lifestyles of the Zulu people. Readers are given a historic overview, covering the British influence on the Zulu, their military history and weaponry. The introduction explores the social roles of the Zulu, from childhood to old age. It introduces the rites of passage through childhood, the tribal Zulu child, bush lore, stick-fighting, cattle culture, "nyangas" and "sangomas". In the subsequent chapters, the metamorphosis from childhood to adulthood is described, as well as courtship and engagement ceremonies, the status of engaged girls, music and dance, and beadwork. Marriage and "lobolo" (bride price), weaving, pottery, home life and the wedding ceremony are also examined. There are photographs accompanying the text throughout. ... Read more

Product Description
Mention of the Zulu War of 1879 inevitably conjures up images of the redcoats at Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift; it is often forgotten that the limited number of Imperial troops available led to the raising of several thousand local troops from Natal, Cape Colony and beyond. Typified by hard-riding white frontiersmen and lightly armed African infantry, these units made up for the British Army's severe shortage of cavalry scouts and local knowledge. Ian Castle's concise study of their organisation, uniforms, weapons, and campaign service covers a far wider range of units than ever previously published; it is illustrated with rare photographs and vivid colour plates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Zulu War - Volunteers, Irregulars & Auxiliaries
This book is very informative about the units from this era. I was very impressed with the uniform and insignia detail. It is well written and illistrated. I recommend it, as it is worth every cent. ... Read more

Product Description
The period 1838 to 1906 in Southern African history was a bloody one, although it proved to be crucial in the continent's evolution and in the development of national identities. In this study, nine Zulu actions are described in detail, graphically conveying the drama of the battlefield. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

ExcellentOverview of Zulu Warfare
Ian Knight is probably the preeminent authority on Zulu History, and this is a fascinating account of a series of 10 different battles that occurred over the course of 70 years, featuring Zulus against the Boers, Zulus against the British, and Zulus against Zulus.Probably the best known Zulu battle is Rorkes' Drift, but that incident really deserves its own book, and Knight and other authors have already done so (see Ian Knight's "Campaign Series 42, Rorkes' Drift 1879", for a good overview, but he also has done a more thorough analysis of that battle in another book).If you want a more detailed study of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 then there is no shortage of other good books to read, but in terms of the development and showcasing of Zulu warfare after Shaka and into the early 20th Century, then this is an excellent and exciting piece of work.

An introduction to the Zulu Wars
A useful and informative introduction to the Zulu wars. Several major battles are covered in depth, and the general trends of the war explained. Overall tactics for the Zulu Nation are discussed in some length, howeverthe same treatment is not given to the British side. The reader is leftwith the overall impression that the main tactic of the Zulu Nation was tofield vastly superior numbers, and without this there was little chance ofvictory. There is a lack of detail on the weapons and equipment and dressused by each side which would have been an important and interestingaddition

Detailed descriptions, but ignores earlier wars.
An interesting and informative account of the Zulus' greatest battles is, unfortunately, not as comprehensive as it could have been. While Knighthas, once again, done his homework (his accounts of the battles of Thukelaand Blood River are vivid)there are some thrilling battles in earlier Zuluhistory which have been afforded little attention. For instance, the battleof kwaGqokli hill, which featured the young Shaka leading his men againstthe powerful Ndwandwe of Zwide kaLanga, lives in many an imagination as thefirst reckoning of the great Zulu empire. But while there are valid reasonsnot to include the aforementioned clash, the battle of izinDololwane hills,which saw Shaka, with the help of his white allies, shatter the powerfulNdwandwe kingdom once and for all, surely merits an inclusion. That aside,the book is typical of Knight: colourful, interesting, objective, factual. ... Read more

Product Description
Donald Morris delivers an account of the rise of the Zulu nation in southern Africa, and its fall under Cetshwayo in the Zulu war of 1879. For more than a century after the European landing at Cape Town in the 17th century, the Boers had advanced unopposed into the vast interior of Africa. It was not until 1824 that Europeans came face to face with another expanding and imperial power, the Zulus, the most formidable nation in black Africa. That confrontation culminated in a bitter war between the Zulu warriors and Victoria's British Army. It was the last despairing effort of Africans to stem the tide of white civilization. The result was a dramatic, legendary and bloody defeat at Isandhlwana for the British; the aftermath was the defeat and fall of the Zulu nation. This work sets out to be not only a history of the Zulus but also a full-scale study of the British colonial and military policy in relation to southern Africa, and of those involved. ... Read more

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With close to one million members, the Church of the Nazarites (ibandla lamaNazaretha) is one of the most popular indigenous religious communities in South Africa. Founded in 1910 by Isaiah Shembe, it offers South Africans--particularly disadvantaged black women and girls--a way to remake and reconnect to ancient sacred traditions disrupted by colonialism and apartheid. Ethnomusicologist Carol Muller explores the everyday lives of Nazarite women through their religious songs and dances, dream narratives, and fertility rituals, which come to life both musically and visually on CD-ROM.

Against the backdrop of South Africa's turbulent history, Muller shows how Shembe's ideas of female ritual purity developed as a response to a regime and culture that pushed all things associated with women, cultural expression, and Africanness to the margins.

Carol Muller breaks new ground in the study of this changing region and along the way includes fascinating details of her own poignant journey, as a young, white South African woman, to the "other" side of a divided society. ... Read more