The Zulus at War

The History, Rise, and Fall of the Tribe That Washed Its Spears

By: Xolani Mkhize, Adrian Greaves

Narrated by: Kevin Free

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

By tracing the long and turbulent history of the Zulus from their arrival in South Africa and the establishment of Zululand, The Zulus at War is an important and readable addition to this popular subject area. It describes the violent rise of King Shaka and his colorful successors under whose leadership the warrior nation built a fearsome fighting reputation without equal among the native tribes of South Africa. It also examines the tactics and weapons employed during the numerous intertribal battles over this period. They then became victims of their own success in that their defeat of the Boers in 1877 and 1878 in the Sekhukhuni War prompted the well-documented British intervention. Initially the might of the British Empire was humbled as never before by the surprising Zulu victory at Isandlwana but the 1879 war ended with the brutal crushing of the Zulu nation. But, as Adrian Greaves reveals, this was by no means the end of the story. The little known consequences of the division of Zululand, the Boer War, and the 1906 Zulu Rebellion are analyzed in fascinating detail. An added attraction for listeners is that this long-awaited history is written not just by a leading authority but also, thanks to the coauthor’s contribution, from the Zulu perspective using much completely fresh material.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2014 Skyhorse Publishing (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Very good

Very good book about the Zulu’s and there influences throughout South Africa and the British Empire

Great content in need of better organization

Good book but could have been better organized. Certain things were repetitive. However, overall the content is exceptional providing an excellent description of the rise and fall of the Zulu state.

Narrator was cringeworthy with African words

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Would have been much better with someone familiar with how the words are supposed to be spoken.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kevin Free?

Trevor Noah or someone else familiar with South African languages.

History at it’s very best!

This book is remarkable for many of its qualities, but most of all for its ability to truly document the history of the Zulu people in as complete and unbiased manner as possible. Far from some idealized version of history that paints the Zulu people as “noble savages,” this work treats its subjects as they were, warts and all.

First and foremost, this book is a history of the Zulu tribe at war. It doesn’t profess to be a complete history of the tribe from its beginnings in the mists of time. Instead it focuses on a relatively short period of time.

Second, this isn’t a hit piece on the British or Boer settlement in the region. It is not a catalog of every mistake made by white during this time period.

What then is it? It’s as close to a fair and balanced description of the history of the Zulu people at war coupled with a comprehensive history of the actions taken by both the British and the Boers along with their repercussions for the Zulu.

Lastly, this book brings a startling new lens to bare on the multiple players who had an effect on the Zulus at war. Today the Zulu wars are little more than a footnote to history. By viewing their actions from the perspective of the Zulu people based on Zulu sources the authors have done a great service to the Zulu people, and all the people of South Africa.

Great account of Zulu history

I've found this book to be exceptional in its detailing the accounts of Zulu war history and Zulu history in general. That said, as a Zulu myself, I was appalled by the mis-pronunciation of the otherwise fine narrator. More care should have been taken in learning to pronounce Zulu words properly. To be fair, I don't expect 100% accurate pronunciation from (I presume) a non-Zulu speaker.

good info poorly presented

Worth reading for the info it contained. Could have been so much better if it was clearly written and better edited. Book was both repetitive at points and some how didnt have enough detail in crucial parts. Author has a habit of making conclusory statements that might have been interesting if explored but lacked support.

Very Good Summary on the Topic

I am new to Zulu culture, language etc. this book is a good introduction to the subject. It provides a starting point for further study or just a base for information on the Zulu.

A Must Read. Amazing and informative.

This is a story that needs to be shared in schools and in all spheres where people have a desire to know or should know the history of one of Africa's most noble people. It is a story that shows how the culture of the Zulu and the Europeans clashed and how the deceptiveness and greed of the Europeans led to the destruction of the once great Zulu nation.

History truly repeats itself

Excellent narration. Events reveal how people and nations are subjugated. Sovereignty disrespected and lands stolen.

South African Spartans.

South African Spartans. A solid, compact history of a warrior culture.

Greaves' 2013 "The Zulus at War" is a brief, well written history of the Zulu people from their rise as one of S. Africa's larger tribes to the Zulu "nation" gained through their martial prowess and attempts to challenge Boer and later British colonial authority in the early 19th century to their eventual dismantling and division by the victorious British. Greaves walks the reader through the rise of Shaka and the rapid expansion of the Zulu state to the point where his people could challenge the British and even gain a short-lived victory at Isandlwana.

It's hard to read about the Zulu devotion to martial power and not think of the Spartans. Martial cultures tend to have certain common elements -- like weeding out the sick or infirm, harsh (sometimes arbitrarily brutal) discipline, and an all-consuming focus on warfighting at the expense of nearly every other aspect of social or cultural development. While the Spartans were not nearly so expansionist, the Zulus' success against neighboring tribes, when compared to their later difficulties with the British brings to mind the Spartans initial success against the Persian empire but whose cultural mores ultimately proved unsustainable against enemies foreign and domestic.

While short-lived, the Zulu nation burned brightly and remains an intensely interesting field of study. Greaves' well-researched work ably assists in that endeavor.