Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana: 22nd January 1879: Minute by Minute

The battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 was one of the most dramatic episodes in military history. In the morning, 20,000 Zulus overwhelmed the British invading force in one of the greatest disasters ever to befall a British army. Later the same day, a Zulu force of around 3,000 warriors turned their attention to a small outpost at Rorke’s Drift defended by around 150 British and Imperial troops. The British victory that ensued -against remarkable odds -would go down as one of the most heroic actions of all time. In this thrilling blow-by-blow account, Chris Peers draws on first-hand testimonies from both sides to piece together the course of the battles as they unfolded. Along the way, he exposes many of the Victorian myths to reveal great acts of bravery as well as cases of cowardice and incompetence. A brief analysis of the aftermath of the battle and notes on the later careers of the key participants completes this gripping expose of this legendary encounter. AUTHOR: Chris Peers is a leading expert on African colonial warfare and has written widely on the subject. His books include The African Wars: Warriors and Soldiers of the Colonial Campaigns and Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840-1900. He has also contributed many articles to military history, wargaming and family history magazines. He has an MA in History from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and has travelled extensively in Africa.