Rorke's Drift

Rorke's Drift

Author: Ian Knight

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 1990-12-31

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 1473817781

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The heroic defence of the mission station at Rorke's Drift became the epic action of the Anglo-Zulu War. A small garrison defended this valuable border-post for ten hours and in the process won the northern sector at Ntcombe Drift, Hlobane and Khambula. Essential reading for those who wish to learn the facts rather than the myths of this legendary stand.


Book Synopsis Rorke's Drift by : Ian Knight

Download or read book Rorke's Drift written by Ian Knight and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 1990-12-31 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The heroic defence of the mission station at Rorke's Drift became the epic action of the Anglo-Zulu War. A small garrison defended this valuable border-post for ten hours and in the process won the northern sector at Ntcombe Drift, Hlobane and Khambula. Essential reading for those who wish to learn the facts rather than the myths of this legendary stand.


Rorke's Drift

Rorke's Drift

Author: Adrian Greaves

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Published: 2012-09-06

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 1780224974

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The story of the bravest battle ever fought. On 22nd January 1879 a force of 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed and destroyed the British invading force at Isandlwana, killing and ritually disemboweling over 1200 troops. That afternoon, the same Zulu force turned their attention on a small outpost at Rorke's Drift. The battle that ensued, one of the British Army's great epics, has since entered into legend. Throughout the night 85 men held off six full-scale Zulu attacks at the cost of only 27 casualties, forcing the Zulu army to withdraw. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for bravery shown on that night, the largest number for any one engagement in history. But as Adrian Greaves's new research shows there are several things about the myth of Rorke's Drift that don't add up. While it was the scene of undoubted bravery, it was also the scene of some astonishing cases of cowardice, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that the legend of Rorke's Drift was created to divert attention from the appalling British mistakes which caused the earlier defeat at Isandlwana.


Book Synopsis Rorke's Drift by : Adrian Greaves

Download or read book Rorke's Drift written by Adrian Greaves and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 2012-09-06 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of the bravest battle ever fought. On 22nd January 1879 a force of 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed and destroyed the British invading force at Isandlwana, killing and ritually disemboweling over 1200 troops. That afternoon, the same Zulu force turned their attention on a small outpost at Rorke's Drift. The battle that ensued, one of the British Army's great epics, has since entered into legend. Throughout the night 85 men held off six full-scale Zulu attacks at the cost of only 27 casualties, forcing the Zulu army to withdraw. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for bravery shown on that night, the largest number for any one engagement in history. But as Adrian Greaves's new research shows there are several things about the myth of Rorke's Drift that don't add up. While it was the scene of undoubted bravery, it was also the scene of some astonishing cases of cowardice, and there is increasing evidence to suggest that the legend of Rorke's Drift was created to divert attention from the appalling British mistakes which caused the earlier defeat at Isandlwana.


Crucible of Honour

Crucible of Honour

Author: James Mace

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-07-26

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 9781546815297

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It is January of 1879. While three columns of British soldiers and their African allies cross the uMzinyathi River to commence the invasion of the Zulu Kingdom, a handful of redcoats from B Company, 2/24th Regiment are left to guard the centre column's supply depot at Rorke's Drift. On the morning of 22 January, the main camp at Isandlwana, just ten miles to the east, comes under attack from the entire Zulu army and is utterly destroyed. Four thousand warriors from King Cetshwayo's elite Undi Corps remained in reserve and were denied any chance to take part in the fighting. Led by Prince Dabulamanzi, they disobey the king's orders and cross into British Natal, seeking their share in triumph and spoils. They soon converge on Rorke's Drift; an easy prize, with its paltry force of 150 redcoats to be readily swept aside. Upon hearing of the disaster at Isandlwana, and with retreat impossible, the tiny British garrison readies to receive the coming onslaught. Leading them is Lieutenant John Chard, a newly-arrived engineer officer with no actual combat experience. Aiding him is B Company's previously undistinguished officer commanding, Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, along with 24-year old Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne, and a retired soldier-turned civilian volunteer named James Dalton. Unbeknownst to either the British or the Zulus, half of the centre column, under Lord Chelmsford's direct command, was not even at Isandlwana, but fifteen miles further east, at Mangeni Falls. However, with a huge Zulu force of over twenty-thousand warriors between them and the drift, their ammunition and ration stores taken or destroyed, and an impossible distance to cover, Chelmsford's battered column cannot possibly come to the depot's aid, and must look to their own survival. The defenders of Rorke's Drift stand alone.


Book Synopsis Crucible of Honour by : James Mace

Download or read book Crucible of Honour written by James Mace and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-07-26 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is January of 1879. While three columns of British soldiers and their African allies cross the uMzinyathi River to commence the invasion of the Zulu Kingdom, a handful of redcoats from B Company, 2/24th Regiment are left to guard the centre column's supply depot at Rorke's Drift. On the morning of 22 January, the main camp at Isandlwana, just ten miles to the east, comes under attack from the entire Zulu army and is utterly destroyed. Four thousand warriors from King Cetshwayo's elite Undi Corps remained in reserve and were denied any chance to take part in the fighting. Led by Prince Dabulamanzi, they disobey the king's orders and cross into British Natal, seeking their share in triumph and spoils. They soon converge on Rorke's Drift; an easy prize, with its paltry force of 150 redcoats to be readily swept aside. Upon hearing of the disaster at Isandlwana, and with retreat impossible, the tiny British garrison readies to receive the coming onslaught. Leading them is Lieutenant John Chard, a newly-arrived engineer officer with no actual combat experience. Aiding him is B Company's previously undistinguished officer commanding, Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, along with 24-year old Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne, and a retired soldier-turned civilian volunteer named James Dalton. Unbeknownst to either the British or the Zulus, half of the centre column, under Lord Chelmsford's direct command, was not even at Isandlwana, but fifteen miles further east, at Mangeni Falls. However, with a huge Zulu force of over twenty-thousand warriors between them and the drift, their ammunition and ration stores taken or destroyed, and an impossible distance to cover, Chelmsford's battered column cannot possibly come to the depot's aid, and must look to their own survival. The defenders of Rorke's Drift stand alone.


Zulu! The Battle for Rorke's Drift

Zulu! The Battle for Rorke's Drift

Author: Edmund Yorke

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2005-07-01

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 0752496441

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Fought on the night of 22/23 January 1879 and immortalised in the film epic Zulu, Rorke's Drift represented one of the most glorious, if subsequently controversial episodes in British military history. For twelve desperate hours, outnumbered by over 25-1, barely 140 British soldiers, based at the remote mission station of Rorke's Drift, South Africa, were locked in a ferocious life or death struggle with over 4000 seasoned warriors of the hitherto victorious Zulu Army - the most powerful indigenous African army. Only hours earlier, in the shadow of the ominous Sphinx-like Isandlwana Crag, other elements of this same Zulu force had virtually annihilated a 1700-strong British colonial force - one of the greatest defeats of Queen Victoria's reign. In the wake of this massacre, the survival of the British Empire in South Africa rested with the tiny garrison of Rorke's Drift.


Book Synopsis Zulu! The Battle for Rorke's Drift by : Edmund Yorke

Download or read book Zulu! The Battle for Rorke's Drift written by Edmund Yorke and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2005-07-01 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fought on the night of 22/23 January 1879 and immortalised in the film epic Zulu, Rorke's Drift represented one of the most glorious, if subsequently controversial episodes in British military history. For twelve desperate hours, outnumbered by over 25-1, barely 140 British soldiers, based at the remote mission station of Rorke's Drift, South Africa, were locked in a ferocious life or death struggle with over 4000 seasoned warriors of the hitherto victorious Zulu Army - the most powerful indigenous African army. Only hours earlier, in the shadow of the ominous Sphinx-like Isandlwana Crag, other elements of this same Zulu force had virtually annihilated a 1700-strong British colonial force - one of the greatest defeats of Queen Victoria's reign. In the wake of this massacre, the survival of the British Empire in South Africa rested with the tiny garrison of Rorke's Drift.


Bolt Action: Tank War

Bolt Action: Tank War

Author: Warlord Games

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-09-20

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 1472813375

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Tank War, the new supplement for Bolt Action, gives players the option to expand their games to a whole new level – armoured warfare. Recreate such great engagements as the battle of Kursk with the scenarios, army options and special rules found in this book. Whether you want to add more armour to your existing armies or build an entirely armoured force, Tank War has you covered.


Book Synopsis Bolt Action: Tank War by : Warlord Games

Download or read book Bolt Action: Tank War written by Warlord Games and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-09-20 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tank War, the new supplement for Bolt Action, gives players the option to expand their games to a whole new level – armoured warfare. Recreate such great engagements as the battle of Kursk with the scenarios, army options and special rules found in this book. Whether you want to add more armour to your existing armies or build an entirely armoured force, Tank War has you covered.


The Men Who Would Be Kings

The Men Who Would Be Kings

Author: Daniel Mersey

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-09-22

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13: 1472815025

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The Men Who Would Be Kings is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood colonial battles in the mid to late 19th Century, from the Indian Mutiny to the Boxer Rebellion. Large scale colonial clashes tended to be one-sided affairs, but there are countless reports of brief, frantic skirmishes in every colonial war, where either side could be victorious, and these are the battles that The Men Who Would Be Kings seeks to recreate. Although focusing on the British colonial wars against the Zulus, Maoris and others, these rules will also permit players to explore the empires of France, Germany, and other nations, as well as allowing for battles between rival native factions. Gameplay is very simple, and is driven by the quality of the officers leading your units, in the true spirit of Victorian derring-do and adventure, where larger than life characters such as the (real) Fred Burnaby and the (fictional) Harry Flashman led their troops to glory and medals or a horrible end at the point of a spear tip.


Book Synopsis The Men Who Would Be Kings by : Daniel Mersey

Download or read book The Men Who Would Be Kings written by Daniel Mersey and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Men Who Would Be Kings is a set of rules designed for fighting historical or Hollywood colonial battles in the mid to late 19th Century, from the Indian Mutiny to the Boxer Rebellion. Large scale colonial clashes tended to be one-sided affairs, but there are countless reports of brief, frantic skirmishes in every colonial war, where either side could be victorious, and these are the battles that The Men Who Would Be Kings seeks to recreate. Although focusing on the British colonial wars against the Zulus, Maoris and others, these rules will also permit players to explore the empires of France, Germany, and other nations, as well as allowing for battles between rival native factions. Gameplay is very simple, and is driven by the quality of the officers leading your units, in the true spirit of Victorian derring-do and adventure, where larger than life characters such as the (real) Fred Burnaby and the (fictional) Harry Flashman led their troops to glory and medals or a horrible end at the point of a spear tip.


Zulu Rising

Zulu Rising

Author: Ian Knight

Publisher: Pan

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780330445931

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The battle of iSandlwana was the single most destructive incident in the 150-year history of the British colonization of South Africa. This title shows that the brutality of the battle was the result of an inevitable clash between two aggressive warrior traditions.


Book Synopsis Zulu Rising by : Ian Knight

Download or read book Zulu Rising written by Ian Knight and published by Pan. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The battle of iSandlwana was the single most destructive incident in the 150-year history of the British colonization of South Africa. This title shows that the brutality of the battle was the result of an inevitable clash between two aggressive warrior traditions.


Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana

Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana

Author: Ian F. W. Beckett

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 0198794126

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The story of Isandlwana, the battle that shocked the British empire at its zenith, and Rorke's Drift, which immediately followed it and went some way to restoring wounded British pride: how they were fought, how they have been remembered, and what they mean for us today.


Book Synopsis Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana by : Ian F. W. Beckett

Download or read book Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana written by Ian F. W. Beckett and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Isandlwana, the battle that shocked the British empire at its zenith, and Rorke's Drift, which immediately followed it and went some way to restoring wounded British pride: how they were fought, how they have been remembered, and what they mean for us today.


A Bloody Night

A Bloody Night

Author: Dan Harvey

Publisher: Merrion Press

Published: 2017-06-05

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1785371452

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The word Zulu means ‘heaven’, but for the suddenly besieged and minute British garrison at Rorke’s Drift, among them a key faction of Irish soldiers, it represented a hellish horde of warriors from the Zulu nation. A Bloody Night documents the terrifying struggle of these Irishmen as thousands of poorly armed but well-trained Zulus unexpectedly hurled themselves in a head-long, deadly onslaught against their hastily barricaded trading station and mission hospital. The battle, a defining clash in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu war, was a bare struggle for survival; the deeds and heroics of the Irish soldiers, subdued within the grand narrative, were no less exceptional than that of their English counterparts. Dan Harvey brings examples of their sheer resilience to the fore. The defence of Rorke’s Drift was an epic encounter and an exceptional piece of soldiering. Its tale of courage in adversity against impossible odds endures; the little-known but significant role of those Irishmen present is no less absorbing a story, and all the more intriguing for its unheralded heroism.


Book Synopsis A Bloody Night by : Dan Harvey

Download or read book A Bloody Night written by Dan Harvey and published by Merrion Press. This book was released on 2017-06-05 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The word Zulu means ‘heaven’, but for the suddenly besieged and minute British garrison at Rorke’s Drift, among them a key faction of Irish soldiers, it represented a hellish horde of warriors from the Zulu nation. A Bloody Night documents the terrifying struggle of these Irishmen as thousands of poorly armed but well-trained Zulus unexpectedly hurled themselves in a head-long, deadly onslaught against their hastily barricaded trading station and mission hospital. The battle, a defining clash in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu war, was a bare struggle for survival; the deeds and heroics of the Irish soldiers, subdued within the grand narrative, were no less exceptional than that of their English counterparts. Dan Harvey brings examples of their sheer resilience to the fore. The defence of Rorke’s Drift was an epic encounter and an exceptional piece of soldiering. Its tale of courage in adversity against impossible odds endures; the little-known but significant role of those Irishmen present is no less absorbing a story, and all the more intriguing for its unheralded heroism.


Like Wolves on the Fold

Like Wolves on the Fold

Author: Mike Snook

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2010-06-19

Total Pages: 430

ISBN-13: 1783469943

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A detailed chronicle of a significant opening battle in the Anglo-Zulu War: ”The Zulu attack on Rorke’s Drift thrillingly retold” (Richard Holmes). On January 22nd, 1879, the British Army in South Africa was swept aside by the seemingly unstoppable Zulu warriors at the Battle of Isandlwana. Nearby, at a remote outpost on the Buffalo River, a single company of the 24th Regiment and a few dozen recuperating hospital patients were passing a hot, monotonous day. By the time they received news from across the river, retreat was no longer an option. It seemed certain that the Rorke's Drift detachment would share the same fate. And yet, against incredible odds, the British managed to defend their station. In this riveting history, Colonel Snook brings the insights of a military professional to bear on this fateful encounter at the start of Anglo-Zulu War. It is an extraordinary tale—a victory largely achieved by the sheer bloody-mindedness of the British infantryman. Recounting in detail how the Zulu attack unfolded, Snook demonstrates how 150 men achieved their improbable victory. Snook then describes the remainder of the war, from the recovery of the lost Queen's Colour of the 24th Regiment to the climactic charge of the 17th Lancers at Ulundi. We return to Isandlwana to consider culpability, and learn of the often tragic fates of many of the war's participants.


Book Synopsis Like Wolves on the Fold by : Mike Snook

Download or read book Like Wolves on the Fold written by Mike Snook and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-06-19 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed chronicle of a significant opening battle in the Anglo-Zulu War: ”The Zulu attack on Rorke’s Drift thrillingly retold” (Richard Holmes). On January 22nd, 1879, the British Army in South Africa was swept aside by the seemingly unstoppable Zulu warriors at the Battle of Isandlwana. Nearby, at a remote outpost on the Buffalo River, a single company of the 24th Regiment and a few dozen recuperating hospital patients were passing a hot, monotonous day. By the time they received news from across the river, retreat was no longer an option. It seemed certain that the Rorke's Drift detachment would share the same fate. And yet, against incredible odds, the British managed to defend their station. In this riveting history, Colonel Snook brings the insights of a military professional to bear on this fateful encounter at the start of Anglo-Zulu War. It is an extraordinary tale—a victory largely achieved by the sheer bloody-mindedness of the British infantryman. Recounting in detail how the Zulu attack unfolded, Snook demonstrates how 150 men achieved their improbable victory. Snook then describes the remainder of the war, from the recovery of the lost Queen's Colour of the 24th Regiment to the climactic charge of the 17th Lancers at Ulundi. We return to Isandlwana to consider culpability, and learn of the often tragic fates of many of the war's participants.