The two main Zulu War battles of Hlobane and Khambula were fought on consecutive days, 28 and 29 March 1879, with very different outcomes. The first, a bungled raid to deprive the Zulus of vital cattle, ended in a humiliating debacle due to poor planning and reconnaissance. The latter saw the outnumbered British first repulse the counterattack against their camp and then unleash their cavalry to turn the Zulu withdrawal into a bloody rout, thus sealing the first decisive British victory of the war. As Adrian Greaves contends in his exciting account, this change in fortunes made Khambula the most important battle of the war, since it persuaded both Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, that the British could defeat the Zulus. Yet, despite their importance, these linked encounters have been neglected by historians due mainly to their inaccessibility and dangerous terrain. Both battles are described in the fullest detail possible, drawing on eyewitness testimony and meticulous research and benefitting from the author's twenty-five years' experience of leading guided tours of the battlefields and surrounding terrain. He recounts tales of extraordinary courage but also exposes blunders and cowardice that tarnish some famous reputations. Colonel (later Field Marshal) Wood in particular comes out badly. This is an essential, eye-opening book for anyone with an interest in the Anglo-Zulu War. AUTHOR: Dr Adrian Greaves is a former army officer in the Welch Regiment (previously the 24th Foot of Rorke's Drift fame), a former high-ranking officer in Kent Police and a qualified clinical psychologist. He is widely acknowledged as one of the world's leading experts on the Anglo-Zulu War. As well as writing many previous books on the subject he has led more than fifty VIP tours to the battlefields and himself explored them thoroughly. He has also written and edited all fifty-five journals for the Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society and given hundreds of lectures across the UK and abroad. 20 colour illustrations
