Why read The Rise & Fall of the Zulu Nation?

Book cover of The Rise & Fall of the Zulu Nation

Book 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.

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Rise & Fall of the Zulu Nation as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Ian F.W. Beckett

Author

Originally published as Rope of Sand in South Africa in 1995, this is a brilliant overview of the story of the Zulu from the days of their rise under Shaka to the tragedy of the Bhambatha Rebellion in 1906. No one knows the Zulu sources better than John Laband, who has written extensively on the war. He weaves Zulu oral tradition and contemporary European accounts into a vivid narrative of Zulu history. Full coverage is given to the Anglo-Zulu War but what I particularly value is the wider context of the contest between Briton, Boer, and Zulu that shaped…

From Ian's list on The best books on Zulus and the Zulu War.