AWARD WINNING HISTORICAL FICTIONOne of the most extraordinary stories ever to emerge from South Africa’s turbulent history.There was no greater warrior king than Shaka of the Zulus. Above all else, he valued two things -courage and loyalty. He would find both in his unlikely hero - the 12-year old Highlander known as ‘John Ross.’ In 1825, 9-year old Charles Maclean sets out from Fraserburgh, Scotland on his first sea voyage. When he is shipwrecked on the shores of Zululand, his arrival is not unexpected. A silent watcher, one with extraordinary mystic powers, is waiting for him.Launched headlong into the dangerous, unpredictable arena of Shaka Zulu’s kingdom, the stranded mariners face impossible odds, with little hope of rescue. When the young Maclean, also known as ‘John Ross’, is detained against his will in Shaka’s kwaBulawayo, the place of killing, his future looks bleak. However, all is not as it seems…Within the pages of KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND DAYS lies a truly unforgettable tale, one that has as yet not been fully told. Though etched in cruelty, treachery and betrayal, it also portrays the other side of the coin - human kindness, life-saving generosity and the discovery of deep bonds of friendship in the most unlikely of places.From the timeless sands of the Wild Coast to the lush, war-ravaged hills of Zululand and the autocratic rule of Shaka Zulu; to the shadowy, political intrigues of the British-held Cape, Mozambique, and the horrors of the slave trade, follow in the footsteps of CHARLES RAWDEN MACLEAN, the ‘JOHN ROSS’ of legend and become immersed in the enthralling, spell-binding story that still lingers in the heart of kwaZulu Natal.WINNER OF THE PITLOCHRY QUAICH AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION The Scottish Association of WritersExcellent, memorable…what the story teller’s art is all about. Alanna Knight MBE, Honorary President
