The Curling Diaries of the Zulu War: 'There Was Awful Slaughter'

by Henry Thomas Curling, Adrian Greaves (Editor), Brian Best (Editor)

In the years since the release of the film ‘Zulu’, the Zulu War of 1879 has become one of the world's most famous military campaigns. One of the most dramatic events of the war was the complete annihilation of the British encampment at Isandlhwana by a Zulu army on January 22, 1879. With interest in the Zulu War at an all-time high, the recent discovery of the complete diaries of a Royal Artillery officer who was the sole survivor of his battery at Isandlhwana is a major find.

This important diary has been edited with background notes and linking narrative by Adrian Greaves, a leading member of the Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society. A special Foreword has been written by noted Colonial historian Dr. David Rattray.

Genres: History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2001

About the author

Colonel Henry Thomas Curling, Royal Artillery

Reviews

[Malcolm Rutherford]

You cannot really write a review about a book that is a collection of letters from one Henry Curling, centered around his years in South Africa both before and in the aftermath of the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879.
He was at the battle of Isandlwana and he survived it, the only officer who had actually been at the front line who did so. He doubtless witnessed many horrific scenes both there and during the ghastly retreat, but where these find their way into his letters (letters to his parents let us not forget, and likely to be self-censored for that very reason) modern readers might be struck by how the past is indeed a foreign country, they do things differently there.
Indeed his language and attitudes throughout are those of a man of his and not our time. That is part of the power of what he writes, his words can help us narrow the gap between what he found normal and noteworthy (a lot of complaints about slow promotion and the weather) and what we might.
So, finally, I liked this book, not least because of what he lived through and how different he was from me.

[Joyce A. Brown]

This is not a comprehensive assessment of the Zulu War: it's a snapshot. And that's why it's so good, because it captures a moment vividly. The editors provide context and explanation, but they're not trying to explain and analyze the entire history; instead, this is a close-up view and a taste of the larger topic. Not to be reductive and insulting with the comparison, but it really is like an appetizer: I would challenge anyone to read this and not want to delve immediately into a full-fledged examination of British imperialism in Africa and, specifically, the Zulu resistance. In the meantime: this is an excellent first course, not to be missed.

[peter lang]

First rate

The book is a valuable tool in understanding the British military at this time. Nothing beats first hand accounts from private letters.