Grasp Dead Was Everything: Studies In The Anglo-Zulu War Generated By Keith Smith Depicted In Electronic Format

book comes with a very serious warning from the author and it is one that you are wise to consider, He explicitly states that thjs is not suitable as an entry level book into the Angfo Zulu Wars and any prospective reader should have a reasonable basic knowledge beore starting.
I echo this sentiment entirely,

Mr Smith rarely offers pure narrative and certainly no effort is made to chronlogically follow the war, These are a colllection of ppaers that were written by him over a period of years and are aimed squarely at the academic reader, It is full of references to other authors and considerations of their works on topics that can charitably be described as "arcane" If that sort of discussion is not your thing then please walk away from this work.


The largest single element is devoted to the run up to, and events surrounding the battle of Isandhlwana, It covers the differences in time keeping, whether Lts Raw and Roberts blundered into the Zulu impi in their bivouac or in a starting off assault positioon and has copious discussion of topographical features that may, or may not be the ones described in primary source materials.
It branches from this onto what Commandant HamiltonBrown did or did not see from a mile or so distant and just how many messages from the camp actually reached Lord Chelmsford and why.
If you are looking for base descriptions and alnalysis of the actual fighting I recommend Mike Snook or Lock and Quantrill for opposing views on the blame game, just not this book.


What follows is an analysis of who really inspired victory at Rorke's Drift descendants of Chard amp Bromhead look away now the curious case of Maor Graves and the fiasco of the retreat to the Thukela, Conspiracies of buck passing,political gamesmanship and an itinerary of the Second Invasion of June July.


The writiing style is academic and does not flow particularly easily, The content is defiintely"only iIf you are a Zulu war aficionado" otherwise it is a waste of time and money I have read enough around the topic to find plenty to enjoy and discover.
Others may not have done so "This work was first published in, in a very limited edition, " from the Preface to the Second Edition

The AngloZulu War ofstill intrigues both scholars and enthusiasts alike more thanyears after it was fought.
Its story contains tragedy, high drama and the heavy loss of human life it involved five major battles and two lesser fights and led to the snuffing out of the direct male Napoleonic line of France.
And all this in less than one year, Reflecting on several years research, Keith Smith presents a series of essays which explore hitherto unanswered questions and offer fresh insights into the key battles and protagonists of this epic conflict.
He

presents some surprising conclusions which differ, often radically, from more orthodox views, He also sets out to reveal the characters of the men of both sides who might otherwise have been simply names on a page, They are not: they lived, loved, fought and died, Some were heroes while others were less than that, Most were ordinary men who chose a military career and did their best as far as they were able, White or black, British or colonial, they are all brought to life and their unique stories told, This is an important contribution to our understanding of this famous war and the men who fought in it,

REVIEWS

Smith, a retired computer consultant and author of two books on the Cape Frontier Wars, examines questions related to the AngloZulu War ofin Zululand.
He omits descriptions of most of the battles, focusing instead on the battle at Isandlwana, as well as those involved in the defense of Rorke's Drift, the withdrawal from Eshowe by the Second Regiment of the Natal Native Contingent led by Major Shapland Graves, the route of the Second Invasion, and the events following the withdrawal of the Second Regiment from Eshowe to the Thukela River.
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