British Fortifications in Zululand 1879

Osprey Fortress #35

by Ian Knight, Adam Hook (Illustrator)

On 11 January 1879 the British Empire went to war with the independent kingdom of Zululand. The British anticipated a swift and decisive victory, placing great faith in modern firepower; no plans were made for suppressing the Zulu over a protracted period, or for providing defensive positions from which to occupy Zulu territory. However, the losses suffered at Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift quickly altered the British approach; throughout the rest of the war, the British fortified almost every position they occupied in Zululand, from permanent column depots to temporary halts. This title explores British defensive techniques employed during the war, and how these related to contemporary engineering theory. Among the sites covered are Eshowe Mission Station, forts Pearson and Tenedos, and Rorke's Drift.

Genres: Military History, Nonfiction, History, South Africa

64 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2005

About the author

Ian Knight, BA, FRGS is a historian, author, battlefield guide and artifacts specialist internationally regarded as a leading authority on the nineteenth-century history of the Zulu kingdom, and in particular the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. He has a degree in Afro-Caribbean Studies from the University of Kent and has been researching and writing for more than thirty years. He has published over forty books and monographs, the majority of them on Zulu history and the rest on other nineteenth-century British colonial campaigns. He has appeared on-screen in a number of television documentaries. He is an Honorary Research Associate of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg.

Reviews

[Samuel Steffen]

Ian Knight gives an outline of fortifications in the Zulu War. Fortifications always play an important role in war and the Zulu war was no different. Great book for military history enthusiasts.

[Nathan]

Basic information about the forts built and used by the British during the Anglo-Zulu War. I was particularly impressed by the wire entanglements and wolf traps.