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Last Stand: A tale of Empire and War
March 1879. Zululand burns, and the fate of the frontier will be decided on the blood-red heights of Kambula.
Second Lieutenant William Blackwood, marches north with the Monmouthshire Fusiliers as Her Majesty’s forces prepare to strike a hammer blow against the enemy. Assigned to Colonel Evelyn Wood’s elite flying column on the untamed frontier, Blackwood is swept into a relentless campaign of raids, skirmishes, and mountain warfare. Here, loyalty is measured in blood, and every patrol could be a man’s last.
From the shattered ridges of Hlobane to the storm-wracked heights of Kambula, Blackwood and his comrades must stand firm against the Zulu tide. On the eve of disaster, surrounded by thousands of warriors and pounded by storm and spear, the battered British laager digs in and prepares for its greatest test. Cannon thunder, redcoats brace at the barricades, and a wall of warriors descends on the hilltop stronghold. What begins as a desperate holding action becomes one of the British Army’s proudest victories, a furious stand of red earth, rifle fire, and cold steel against overwhelming odds.
As the flames of war reach their peak, the Empire’s colours must not fall. Men will be tested. Comrades will be lost. But Blackwood and the Monmouthshire Fusiliers will not yield.
Last Stand is the second stirring chapter in Blackwood of the Empire, a sweeping historical epic of courage, duty, and honour at the edge of civilisation. In the crucible of battle, amid comrades and carnage, one young officer discovers what it truly means to serve Queen and Country.
Second Lieutenant William Blackwood, marches north with the Monmouthshire Fusiliers as Her Majesty’s forces prepare to strike a hammer blow against the enemy. Assigned to Colonel Evelyn Wood’s elite flying column on the untamed frontier, Blackwood is swept into a relentless campaign of raids, skirmishes, and mountain warfare. Here, loyalty is measured in blood, and every patrol could be a man’s last.
From the shattered ridges of Hlobane to the storm-wracked heights of Kambula, Blackwood and his comrades must stand firm against the Zulu tide. On the eve of disaster, surrounded by thousands of warriors and pounded by storm and spear, the battered British laager digs in and prepares for its greatest test. Cannon thunder, redcoats brace at the barricades, and a wall of warriors descends on the hilltop stronghold. What begins as a desperate holding action becomes one of the British Army’s proudest victories, a furious stand of red earth, rifle fire, and cold steel against overwhelming odds.
As the flames of war reach their peak, the Empire’s colours must not fall. Men will be tested. Comrades will be lost. But Blackwood and the Monmouthshire Fusiliers will not yield.
Last Stand is the second stirring chapter in Blackwood of the Empire, a sweeping historical epic of courage, duty, and honour at the edge of civilisation. In the crucible of battle, amid comrades and carnage, one young officer discovers what it truly means to serve Queen and Country.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2025
94 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Michael G. Thomas
216 books130 followersMichael G. Thomas, is a writer, martial artist and military historian. He has written books on European martial arts and military history as well as Zombie Survival books and fiction. He is the co-founder of the prestigious Academy of Historical Fencing that teaches traditional armed and unarmed European martial arts. His specialist subject areas are teaching the use of the medieval two handed longsword and the German long knife in both the UK and other parts of Europe.
His academic background is as varied as his writing with degrees in Computing, Classical Studies and Machine Learning. In recent years he has undertaken substantial research in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as Ancient Greek and Byzantine military history.
Michael is currently completing his Champions of the Apocalypse Series and Star Crusades science fiction series.
His academic background is as varied as his writing with degrees in Computing, Classical Studies and Machine Learning. In recent years he has undertaken substantial research in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as Ancient Greek and Byzantine military history.
Michael is currently completing his Champions of the Apocalypse Series and Star Crusades science fiction series.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 19, 2025
Superb historical fiction.
A thrilling tale of a horrific campaign. The narrative is so good and the story so well told that one can almost feel the heat, taste the dust and gunpowder. Or feel the exhaustion and fear that permeates the scenes of battle.
I wait with barely concealed anticipation for the next book.
A thrilling tale of a horrific campaign. The narrative is so good and the story so well told that one can almost feel the heat, taste the dust and gunpowder. Or feel the exhaustion and fear that permeates the scenes of battle.
I wait with barely concealed anticipation for the next book.
October 16, 2025
I have read both of the books in this series. A neither of them have been a disappointment. Im now waiting for the news of the next book to appear so I can do an advance purchase. Highly recommend the book to other readers. It would help if you read these first book prior to reading it.
November 30, 2025
Book 2
First time I read books on the British Empire when they were fighting the Zulus. The subject matter was interesting to read and it was something to see how the organized British troops held there own against the natives with there modern weapons against spears.
First time I read books on the British Empire when they were fighting the Zulus. The subject matter was interesting to read and it was something to see how the organized British troops held there own against the natives with there modern weapons against spears.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews