What do you think?
Rate this book
The Washing of the Spears
Filled with colorful characters, dramatic battles like Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift, and an inexorable narrative momentum, this unsurpassed history details the sixty-year existence of the world's mightiest African empire; from its brutal formation and zenith under the military genius Shaka , through its inevitable collision with white expansionism, to its dissolution under Cetshwayo in the Zulu War of 1879.
693 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
70 people are currently reading
2527 people want to read
About the author
Donald R. Morris
24 books2 followersBorn 11 November, 1924, to S. Fred and Vera D. Morris of New York City. Graduated Horace Mann School for Boys, 1942 and US Naval Academy, 1948. Active naval service from 1942 until 1956; retired as Lieutenant Commander. CIA field officer in Soviet counterespionage from 1956 until 1972 in Berlin, Paris, Kinshasa and Vietnam. Houston resident since 1972; Houston Post foreign affairs columnist from 1972 until 1989, publisher of Donald R. Morris Newsletter from 1989.
Novelist (China Station, Warm Bodies.) and historian (The Washing of the Spears). In addition to two novels, he wrote columns and articles for the Houston Post, Atlantic Monthly, American Heritage, Proceedings, and the Encyclopedia Britannica, among others. Passed away due to complications from heart disease.
Novelist (China Station, Warm Bodies.) and historian (The Washing of the Spears). In addition to two novels, he wrote columns and articles for the Houston Post, Atlantic Monthly, American Heritage, Proceedings, and the Encyclopedia Britannica, among others. Passed away due to complications from heart disease.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 17, 2022
“For a time all was quiet. Then a group of [Lieutenant Charles] Raw’s men saw a few Zulus herding a small group of cattle up a slope some distance ahead. Kicking up their horses, they gave chase. The slope was a full four miles from the head of the spur, and they were soon out of sight of [Captain Charles] Cavaye’s men and most of their companions. The Zulu herders ran over the crest of the slope and disappeared, and the cattle slowed on the rise and stopped. One of the pursuers cantered up beside them, and in sudden alarm pulled his horse up just in time to prevent a tumble over the edge of a wide, deep ravine that lay just beyond the rise. Then, in astonishment, he stared into the ravine itself. Closely packed and sitting in utter silence, covering the floor of the ravine and perched on the steeply rising sides, stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions, were over 20,000 Zulu warriors. The main impi had finally been located…”
- Donald R. Morris, The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation
Like many historical events I was introduced to as a child, my first exposure to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 came via Hollywood. Specifically, I was enraptured by the big-screen, non-computer-aided, hundreds-of-extras-in-the-background spectacles of the unoriginally-titled Zulu and the equally-unoriginally-titled Zulu Dawn.
Looking back at them, it is not hard to spot the problems endemic to both films. Though each tried – in its own way – to acknowledge the fact that the war began with a premeditated and unjustified invasion of Zululand by British armed forces, both were told from the perspective of mostly-white British soldiers facing overwhelming African forces who charged their guns in human waves. The bigger issues of colonialism and imperialism hardly figured into the scripts.
Though skewed both narratively and historically, those movies spurred me to the library to learn more. At the time, however, there were not a lot of books to choose from. In fact, Donald R. Morris’s The Washing of the Spears was the only title available.
It was just my luck that it turned out to be so good.
***
Before going any further, it is important to admit that my response to The Washing of the Spears is partly tinged by nostalgia. It was one of the first big grown-up history books I ever read, and it is at least partly responsible for the joy I take in exploring the past. I checked this out from the library so many times that my mom finally – in the era before you could get any book ever written with one click – special ordered a copy of my own. According to the inscription on the inside flap, she gave it to me when I was twelve, the day I had a cast put on my broken thumb. It has been on my shelf ever since, never forgotten. It is among a dozen or so titles I’ve taken the time to read twice, and among a small handful that I have read three or more times. For that reason alone, it will always remain in the inner circle of my favorites.
***
Having said all that, I am clear-eyed enough to note that The Washing of the Spears is flawed. Part of this is due to its age. Published in 1965, it contains anthropological terms that – as even Morris admitted, in an updated forward – are very much outdated. Morris also appears to be operating under certain unexamined assumptions regarding the nature of civilization itself, which manifests in ways both subtle and obvious. Finally, Morris used Afrikaner terms to describe Zulu life, a practice that current author-historians such as Ian Knight take pains to avoid. After all, when describing a culture, you should be attempting to look at the inside out, rather than the outside in.
Meanwhile, there are certain long sections of The Washing of the Spears where the Zulus tend to get lost, and we focus unerringly on the British aggressors. Some of this boils down to the fact that when an event passes from human memory, historians require written documentation. History is written by the writers, after all, and the British have the advantage of muster rolls, orders, diaries, letters, memoirs, and after-action testimony. The result is that – especially during the twin fights at Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift – the narrative takes on shades of a pulse-pounding colonial adventure that would have been familiar to readers of 19th century novels.
***
These caveats aside, and despite its faults, The Washing of the Spears mostly holds up, bolstered by an inherently fascinating subject presented with real craft. Happily, despite occasionally losing sight of the Zulus, Morris fully covers the emergence of the Zulu nation before its near-destruction in the Anglo-Zulu War. Thus, for at least the first quarter of this book’s 616-pages of text, we learn about the Zulu nation directly, instead of in relation to their ultimate battlefield defeat.
In this opening section, Morris spends time on Zulu life and culture, discussing child rearing, cattle raising, housing structures, religious ceremonies, and military organization. There is a lot of detail, but it is presented fluidly
The narrative, for obvious reasons, quickly coalesces around the Zulu’s most famous and transformative leader: Shaka.
Made famous internationally famous by Henry Cele’s towering performance in the 1986 miniseries Shaka Zulu, the founder of the Zulu nation lives up to his billing. Not unlike Napoleon, with whom he was a contemporary, Shaka was a martial genius, who used the force of arms to unite various tribes into a powerful kingdom that ruled southern Africa. Shaka’s unique insights, his complex motivations, his intense relationship with his mother, and his mercurial nature, all combine to make him a dramatist’s dream.
Though Shaka probably did not invent the iklwa, the short-handled, wide-bladed version of the assegai, he certainly integrated it into his close-order tactics. He also devised the impi system, forming regiments of like-aged men, and trained them in the bull-and-horns formation, in which a large body of men would move to the enemy’s center, while fleet-footed columns would turn both flanks, much as Hannibal did at Cannae. While certain western writers have disparaged Shaka’s acumen, denigrating it as simplistic, this misses the point. It was effective. As the old saying goes: a fox knows many trick, the hedgehog one good one.
Unfortunately, as he aged, Shaka became increasingly unstable. He killed – often gruesomely – many of his own people, with estimates running into the thousands. This led to his assassination by Dingane, his brother, who took Shaka’s throne.
Without skipping a beat – though clearly missing the star of the show – Morris continues the Zulu story through Dingane and Mpande. Meanwhile, the British settlement at Port Natal, which Shaka could have snuffed in a heartbeat, continued to grow, setting the stage for part two.
***
The second – and larger – section of The Washing of the Spears concerns the British invasion of Zululand in 1879, and the bloody conflict that followed. Not super widely known, the battles of the Anglo-Zulu War were intense, closely fought affairs, often devolving into face-to-face combat pitting bayonet against spear.
At Isandlwana, the British suffered the greatest defeat ever inflicted on a colonial force by indigenous soldiers. Over a thousand British troopers – as well as several hundred African auxiliaries – were killed by a mass Zulu envelopment utilizing a version of Shaka’s famed technique. Soon after, a tiny garrison of British soldiers hastily fortified a mission station at Rorke’s Drift, and held out against some of the longest odds in the history of warfare.
Later, the war took a darkly farcical turn, as the Prince Imperial – only son of Napoleon III, living in exile in England – made his way to South Africa, only to get himself killed.
While the early battles of the Anglo-Zulu War have been heavily scrutinized, Morris gives his full attention to the lesser known clashes as well, including Hlobane, Eshowe, Intombe, and Kambula. He closes with the sad slaughter at Ulundi, where Gatling guns and Lancers – the new warfare and the old – took their revenge for a calamity they had caused themselves.
There is definitely a bit of blood-and-thunder to this telling, with kinetically entertaining battle scenes, and a wholehearted embrace of the courage demonstrated by warriors on both sides. Morris tries to keep things in hand, but there are moments when his interpretation of the evidence does not dovetail with mine. In other words, saying that a nonfiction volume reads like a novel is not always the compliment it seems to be. Still, he gets the tone and tenor right, if some of the details wrong.
***
Lord Chelmsford's decision to invade Zululand came as a result of the Zulu's failure to abide by an ultimatum that should never have been issued and that could never have been obeyed. By the end, Morris is appropriately melancholic. After the thumping excitement of battle comes the terrible hangover of a Carthaginian peace, reducing the Zulu Nation to penury and destitution, their cultural pathways demolished, at least for the moment.
Beyond the Anglo-Zulu War, and beyond the scope of The Washing of the Spears, things would get far worse before they got even a little better. The Zulu Nation was divided into sub-kingdoms, which fought and squabbled until absorbed into the colony of Natal. Beyond that, apartheid loomed.
***
While Morris’s tale is complicated, it is worthwhile. It is a Homeric epic of heroes and villains and leaders with mother issues; of political intrigue, assassinations, and murders; of military blunders, ambushes, escapes, last stands, and suicidal charges; of the clash of steel and a clash of empires, one seeking to expand the reach of its dominions, the other trying desperately to protect its home.
- Donald R. Morris, The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation
Like many historical events I was introduced to as a child, my first exposure to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 came via Hollywood. Specifically, I was enraptured by the big-screen, non-computer-aided, hundreds-of-extras-in-the-background spectacles of the unoriginally-titled Zulu and the equally-unoriginally-titled Zulu Dawn.
Looking back at them, it is not hard to spot the problems endemic to both films. Though each tried – in its own way – to acknowledge the fact that the war began with a premeditated and unjustified invasion of Zululand by British armed forces, both were told from the perspective of mostly-white British soldiers facing overwhelming African forces who charged their guns in human waves. The bigger issues of colonialism and imperialism hardly figured into the scripts.
Though skewed both narratively and historically, those movies spurred me to the library to learn more. At the time, however, there were not a lot of books to choose from. In fact, Donald R. Morris’s The Washing of the Spears was the only title available.
It was just my luck that it turned out to be so good.
***
Before going any further, it is important to admit that my response to The Washing of the Spears is partly tinged by nostalgia. It was one of the first big grown-up history books I ever read, and it is at least partly responsible for the joy I take in exploring the past. I checked this out from the library so many times that my mom finally – in the era before you could get any book ever written with one click – special ordered a copy of my own. According to the inscription on the inside flap, she gave it to me when I was twelve, the day I had a cast put on my broken thumb. It has been on my shelf ever since, never forgotten. It is among a dozen or so titles I’ve taken the time to read twice, and among a small handful that I have read three or more times. For that reason alone, it will always remain in the inner circle of my favorites.
***
Having said all that, I am clear-eyed enough to note that The Washing of the Spears is flawed. Part of this is due to its age. Published in 1965, it contains anthropological terms that – as even Morris admitted, in an updated forward – are very much outdated. Morris also appears to be operating under certain unexamined assumptions regarding the nature of civilization itself, which manifests in ways both subtle and obvious. Finally, Morris used Afrikaner terms to describe Zulu life, a practice that current author-historians such as Ian Knight take pains to avoid. After all, when describing a culture, you should be attempting to look at the inside out, rather than the outside in.
Meanwhile, there are certain long sections of The Washing of the Spears where the Zulus tend to get lost, and we focus unerringly on the British aggressors. Some of this boils down to the fact that when an event passes from human memory, historians require written documentation. History is written by the writers, after all, and the British have the advantage of muster rolls, orders, diaries, letters, memoirs, and after-action testimony. The result is that – especially during the twin fights at Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift – the narrative takes on shades of a pulse-pounding colonial adventure that would have been familiar to readers of 19th century novels.
***
These caveats aside, and despite its faults, The Washing of the Spears mostly holds up, bolstered by an inherently fascinating subject presented with real craft. Happily, despite occasionally losing sight of the Zulus, Morris fully covers the emergence of the Zulu nation before its near-destruction in the Anglo-Zulu War. Thus, for at least the first quarter of this book’s 616-pages of text, we learn about the Zulu nation directly, instead of in relation to their ultimate battlefield defeat.
In this opening section, Morris spends time on Zulu life and culture, discussing child rearing, cattle raising, housing structures, religious ceremonies, and military organization. There is a lot of detail, but it is presented fluidly
The narrative, for obvious reasons, quickly coalesces around the Zulu’s most famous and transformative leader: Shaka.
Made famous internationally famous by Henry Cele’s towering performance in the 1986 miniseries Shaka Zulu, the founder of the Zulu nation lives up to his billing. Not unlike Napoleon, with whom he was a contemporary, Shaka was a martial genius, who used the force of arms to unite various tribes into a powerful kingdom that ruled southern Africa. Shaka’s unique insights, his complex motivations, his intense relationship with his mother, and his mercurial nature, all combine to make him a dramatist’s dream.
Though Shaka probably did not invent the iklwa, the short-handled, wide-bladed version of the assegai, he certainly integrated it into his close-order tactics. He also devised the impi system, forming regiments of like-aged men, and trained them in the bull-and-horns formation, in which a large body of men would move to the enemy’s center, while fleet-footed columns would turn both flanks, much as Hannibal did at Cannae. While certain western writers have disparaged Shaka’s acumen, denigrating it as simplistic, this misses the point. It was effective. As the old saying goes: a fox knows many trick, the hedgehog one good one.
Unfortunately, as he aged, Shaka became increasingly unstable. He killed – often gruesomely – many of his own people, with estimates running into the thousands. This led to his assassination by Dingane, his brother, who took Shaka’s throne.
Without skipping a beat – though clearly missing the star of the show – Morris continues the Zulu story through Dingane and Mpande. Meanwhile, the British settlement at Port Natal, which Shaka could have snuffed in a heartbeat, continued to grow, setting the stage for part two.
***
The second – and larger – section of The Washing of the Spears concerns the British invasion of Zululand in 1879, and the bloody conflict that followed. Not super widely known, the battles of the Anglo-Zulu War were intense, closely fought affairs, often devolving into face-to-face combat pitting bayonet against spear.
At Isandlwana, the British suffered the greatest defeat ever inflicted on a colonial force by indigenous soldiers. Over a thousand British troopers – as well as several hundred African auxiliaries – were killed by a mass Zulu envelopment utilizing a version of Shaka’s famed technique. Soon after, a tiny garrison of British soldiers hastily fortified a mission station at Rorke’s Drift, and held out against some of the longest odds in the history of warfare.
Later, the war took a darkly farcical turn, as the Prince Imperial – only son of Napoleon III, living in exile in England – made his way to South Africa, only to get himself killed.
While the early battles of the Anglo-Zulu War have been heavily scrutinized, Morris gives his full attention to the lesser known clashes as well, including Hlobane, Eshowe, Intombe, and Kambula. He closes with the sad slaughter at Ulundi, where Gatling guns and Lancers – the new warfare and the old – took their revenge for a calamity they had caused themselves.
There is definitely a bit of blood-and-thunder to this telling, with kinetically entertaining battle scenes, and a wholehearted embrace of the courage demonstrated by warriors on both sides. Morris tries to keep things in hand, but there are moments when his interpretation of the evidence does not dovetail with mine. In other words, saying that a nonfiction volume reads like a novel is not always the compliment it seems to be. Still, he gets the tone and tenor right, if some of the details wrong.
***
Lord Chelmsford's decision to invade Zululand came as a result of the Zulu's failure to abide by an ultimatum that should never have been issued and that could never have been obeyed. By the end, Morris is appropriately melancholic. After the thumping excitement of battle comes the terrible hangover of a Carthaginian peace, reducing the Zulu Nation to penury and destitution, their cultural pathways demolished, at least for the moment.
Beyond the Anglo-Zulu War, and beyond the scope of The Washing of the Spears, things would get far worse before they got even a little better. The Zulu Nation was divided into sub-kingdoms, which fought and squabbled until absorbed into the colony of Natal. Beyond that, apartheid loomed.
***
While Morris’s tale is complicated, it is worthwhile. It is a Homeric epic of heroes and villains and leaders with mother issues; of political intrigue, assassinations, and murders; of military blunders, ambushes, escapes, last stands, and suicidal charges; of the clash of steel and a clash of empires, one seeking to expand the reach of its dominions, the other trying desperately to protect its home.
July 16, 2010
If you ever saw the 1964 film "Zulu" (with a very young Michael Caine) you'll remember the siege of Rorke's Drift--- a great set-piece of cinema. And a grand depiction of a battle. I saw the film long ago, and then sought out books on the Zulu Wars. "The Washing of the Spears", forty-odd years since it first appeared, is very much a classic. It's old-school writing: blood-and-thunder, individual bravery, grand scenes. And surprisingly sensitive and sympathetic to the Zulu, while still understanding the bloody nature of leadership and politics inside the tribal kingdoms of South Africa. Powerful, well-written, thrilling, well-researched. See the film, read "Washing of the Spears"--- do both.
March 24, 2022
Donald R. Morris’s The Washing of the Spears details the saga of the Zulu Kingdom in 19th Century South Africa. A loose confederation of Bantu clans, the Zulu didn’t really exist until the formidable King Shaka welded them into a formidable military empire. In the span of just twelve years (1816-1828), Shaka expanded their Kingdom across 80,000 square miles of South Africa, overwhelming or displacing rival groups (from the Xhosa to the Dutch-descended Boers) while establishing a sophisticated military-agricultural society. Their dominance, however, was short-lived; as Shaka’s successors foundered in factional disputes and civil war, the British Empire began creeping inland from its enclaves at Natal, slowly suborning Zulu authority. This finally came to a head in 1879, as British commissioner Henry Bartle Frere, pursuing his dreams of South African Confederation, presented Zulu King Cetshwayo with an unreasonable ultimatum as a pretext for conquest. The resulting conflict became one of the most famous epics of the Victorian Era: Cetshwayo’s impis annihilated Lord Chelmsford’s ill-prepared British column at Isandlwana (their rifles and cannon no match for the Zulu’s ferocious assegais), only to fall victim to better-organized punitive expeditions that crushed the Zulu kingdom and reduced them to vassals of the British. Britain’s victory didn’t slake the imperial lust, resulting in the further subjugation of other native peoples and a bloody guerilla war with the Boers - leaving scars which still haven’t healed today.
Morris, an American writer, published this book in 1965 and isn’t immune to the usual flaws of Western historians covering Africa. He uses outdated ethnic terminology to describe certain African groups which is now considered insensitive if not actively racist; he relies largely on British sources (though, as he admits to the foreword of the 1985 version, he didn’t have access to Zulu and South African sources at the time he wrote it); his accounts of battles succumb to blood-and-thunder excitement that sometimes overcomes his attempts at an objective portrait of imperialism. He also has a tendency to fall down rabbit holes into side topics, like a discussion of the Oxfordian controversy in the Anglican Church (prompted by Bishop Colenso’s entry into the story) that are at best tangential and bog down the story. Even considering these handicaps, Morris does an admirable job conveying the Zulu as a proud, productive and surprisingly complex nation, sometimes admirable in their courage and industriousness, often as ambitious and imperialist as their white rivals, never undeserving of respect and thoughtful study. The result is a colorful, occasionally dated but well-rounded, compelling historical saga; popular history at its best.
Morris, an American writer, published this book in 1965 and isn’t immune to the usual flaws of Western historians covering Africa. He uses outdated ethnic terminology to describe certain African groups which is now considered insensitive if not actively racist; he relies largely on British sources (though, as he admits to the foreword of the 1985 version, he didn’t have access to Zulu and South African sources at the time he wrote it); his accounts of battles succumb to blood-and-thunder excitement that sometimes overcomes his attempts at an objective portrait of imperialism. He also has a tendency to fall down rabbit holes into side topics, like a discussion of the Oxfordian controversy in the Anglican Church (prompted by Bishop Colenso’s entry into the story) that are at best tangential and bog down the story. Even considering these handicaps, Morris does an admirable job conveying the Zulu as a proud, productive and surprisingly complex nation, sometimes admirable in their courage and industriousness, often as ambitious and imperialist as their white rivals, never undeserving of respect and thoughtful study. The result is a colorful, occasionally dated but well-rounded, compelling historical saga; popular history at its best.
November 29, 2009
I have a 1965 copy of this great book and I don't think that there has been a better account of the rise & fall of the Zulu nation. This is one of the best accounts of how the Zulu nation become one of the most feared in Africa under Shaka and how it fell to ruin under Cetshwayo during the war with England in 1879. A great read that has not aged in these 30 odd years. This book has been the standard that all others have been compared to since its publication. It's one of my all time favourite books and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who has a love for this period or a passion for history.
March 28, 2009
I am pleased to say, The Washing of the Spears long held reputation as a classic of military history is well earned. Morris was an American naval officer in the 40s and a CIA agent when he wrote this work of immense quality and deep scholarship. Of course, much of the material is dated, but that cannot detract from its accomplishment. To this day, many refer to it as the seminal work on the Anglo-Zulu Wars. No doubt, that is as much a tribute to the quality of the narrative prose as it is to the research.
At the time Morris was writing, he was also pursuing something relatively novel in the history of colonial wars -- he tried to reconstruct the perspective of the Zulus. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons that an American historian wrote the seminal work on the war. Until Washing of the Spears, the war was understood through the journals of the participants and the long simmering military debate on responsibility for Isandlwana. Morris changed that by trying to give a more complete picture of the motivations of all combatants.
Furthermore, while Morris started out writing just about the Anglo-Zulu War, he quickly realized that he could not tell the story without tracing the history all the way back to the foundation of the Zulu nation.
Of course, the unlikely creation of the Zulu nation by Shaka Zulu is a legendary tale and I enjoyed every page that Morris devoted to it. Thereafter, Morris bridges to Cetshwayo and the drive to war. He seems to support the notion that the war was largely a mistake driven by a local policy too keen to appease the Boers, who were ultimately unappeasable. Subsequently, the three great events of the war dominate the story -- Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift and the killing of the Prince Imperial (son of the recently exiled Napoleon III).
While I new of the general story, in the hands of a master storyteller, you see it all blend together into something greater than the sum of its parts. The complex history of southern Africa will inevitably make more sense having read this book. Of course, you will probably want to pick up Pakenham's Boer War to get the end of the story. Nevertheless, I can't think of a better place to start.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While its not short, I was engaged throughout. Morris tells a lively tale, full of insight and with an overarching unity that takes what might be isolated struggles and weaves them into a broader fabric. You don't need to care a lick about pith helmets or asagai's to enjoy this book. I fully recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, much less military history.
At the time Morris was writing, he was also pursuing something relatively novel in the history of colonial wars -- he tried to reconstruct the perspective of the Zulus. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons that an American historian wrote the seminal work on the war. Until Washing of the Spears, the war was understood through the journals of the participants and the long simmering military debate on responsibility for Isandlwana. Morris changed that by trying to give a more complete picture of the motivations of all combatants.
Furthermore, while Morris started out writing just about the Anglo-Zulu War, he quickly realized that he could not tell the story without tracing the history all the way back to the foundation of the Zulu nation.
Of course, the unlikely creation of the Zulu nation by Shaka Zulu is a legendary tale and I enjoyed every page that Morris devoted to it. Thereafter, Morris bridges to Cetshwayo and the drive to war. He seems to support the notion that the war was largely a mistake driven by a local policy too keen to appease the Boers, who were ultimately unappeasable. Subsequently, the three great events of the war dominate the story -- Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift and the killing of the Prince Imperial (son of the recently exiled Napoleon III).
While I new of the general story, in the hands of a master storyteller, you see it all blend together into something greater than the sum of its parts. The complex history of southern Africa will inevitably make more sense having read this book. Of course, you will probably want to pick up Pakenham's Boer War to get the end of the story. Nevertheless, I can't think of a better place to start.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While its not short, I was engaged throughout. Morris tells a lively tale, full of insight and with an overarching unity that takes what might be isolated struggles and weaves them into a broader fabric. You don't need to care a lick about pith helmets or asagai's to enjoy this book. I fully recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, much less military history.
October 7, 2022
very good. a bit old in the terms used but fascinating read. full with details on all sides involved and amazing look into different characters like Shaka.
May 6, 2022
> Time and again, for no discernible reason, Shaka, with a flick of his hand and no further attention, ordered the execution of some member of his entourage. It was a phenomenon that was noted on every occasion on which a European paid a visit to the royal kraal, and despite the initial impression that Shaka merely wished to impress his visitors with his absolute powers, it gradually sank in that the executions were a normal part of Zulu court life, and that Shaka gave as little heed to the impression left on his visitors as he did to that made on the victims or their families. The power was indeed absolute, and it had reached the ultimate corruption.
> At noon the whole force formed a circle with Shaka in the center, and sang a war-song, which afforded them some relaxation during its continuance. At the close of it, Shaka ordered several men to be executed on the spot; and the cries became, if possible, more violent than ever. No further orders were needed; but, as if bent on convincing their chief of their extreme grief, the multitude commenced a general massacre. Many of them received the blow of death while inflicting it on others, each taking the opportunity of revenging his injuries, real or imaginary. Those who could no more force tears from their eyes — those who were found near the river panting for water — were beaten to death by others who were mad with excitement. Towards the afternoon I calculated that not fewer than seven thousand people had fallen in this frightful indiscriminate massacre. The adjacent stream, to which many had fled exhausted to wet their parched tongues, became impassable from the number of dead corpses which lay on each side of it; while the kraal in which the scene took place, was flowing with blood … Nandi was buried on the third day, with ten handmaidens, their arms and legs broken, buried alive to keep her company. A regiment of 12,000 men was set to guard the grave for a year, supplied with 15,000 head of cattle taken up from every kraal in the country. Shaka then set the conditions of mourning. No crops were to be planted for the following year, nor was milk to be used; it was to be poured on the ground as it came from the cow. (Since milk curds formed the diet staple, the order was equivalent to national starvation, once the limited stores of grain and the cattle themselves had been eaten.) All women found pregnant during the next year would be killed, together with their husbands. … The insane commands and the killings continued for three months, and on three occasions Shaka called the nation together to help him mourn. On the last occasion he ordered everyone to bring all their cattle with them, so that the bellowing of a single gigantic herd could be added to that of his people. Still not satisfied with the din, he ordered every kraal head to rip the gall bladder out of a calf and pour the contents over him; the mutilated animals were then released. Cows were then killed, so that even the calves might know what it was to lose a mother.
> No one in the army was permitted to marry; Shaka on very rare occasions gave entire regiments permission to don the head-ring and settle down, but such permission came only when the men were too old to be of further value in the field. The entire youth of the nation was thus held in a state of enforced celibacy, the men in the military formations and the girls in the corresponding female guilds, and the few times that Shaka authorized a regiment to spend a day in ukuHlobonga with a particular female guild did little to relieve the pressure.
> Shaka passed the month of September in typical fashion. He displayed his smelling-out prowess; summoning some three hundred women he asked each one whether or not she owned a cat, and then killed them all regardless of the answer. Most of them had been married to men in one of the head-ringed regiments then off in the north. He then developed a mild interest in embryology and sliced open a hundred pregnant women to look into the subject
> Shaka had arrived 63 years ago to claim his inheritance. He had found an apathetic clan no one had ever heard of, who numbered less than the Zulu dead that now lay unburied across the river, and out of them he had fashioned an army and on that army he had built an empire. The proud and fearless regiments had carried their assegais south to the Great Kei River, west to the high veld over the Drakensberg Range and north to Delagoa Bay. He had smashed more than a thousand clans and had driven them from their ancestral lands, and more than two million people had perished in the aftermath of the rise of his empire, which had survived him by a scant fifty years
> At noon the whole force formed a circle with Shaka in the center, and sang a war-song, which afforded them some relaxation during its continuance. At the close of it, Shaka ordered several men to be executed on the spot; and the cries became, if possible, more violent than ever. No further orders were needed; but, as if bent on convincing their chief of their extreme grief, the multitude commenced a general massacre. Many of them received the blow of death while inflicting it on others, each taking the opportunity of revenging his injuries, real or imaginary. Those who could no more force tears from their eyes — those who were found near the river panting for water — were beaten to death by others who were mad with excitement. Towards the afternoon I calculated that not fewer than seven thousand people had fallen in this frightful indiscriminate massacre. The adjacent stream, to which many had fled exhausted to wet their parched tongues, became impassable from the number of dead corpses which lay on each side of it; while the kraal in which the scene took place, was flowing with blood … Nandi was buried on the third day, with ten handmaidens, their arms and legs broken, buried alive to keep her company. A regiment of 12,000 men was set to guard the grave for a year, supplied with 15,000 head of cattle taken up from every kraal in the country. Shaka then set the conditions of mourning. No crops were to be planted for the following year, nor was milk to be used; it was to be poured on the ground as it came from the cow. (Since milk curds formed the diet staple, the order was equivalent to national starvation, once the limited stores of grain and the cattle themselves had been eaten.) All women found pregnant during the next year would be killed, together with their husbands. … The insane commands and the killings continued for three months, and on three occasions Shaka called the nation together to help him mourn. On the last occasion he ordered everyone to bring all their cattle with them, so that the bellowing of a single gigantic herd could be added to that of his people. Still not satisfied with the din, he ordered every kraal head to rip the gall bladder out of a calf and pour the contents over him; the mutilated animals were then released. Cows were then killed, so that even the calves might know what it was to lose a mother.
> No one in the army was permitted to marry; Shaka on very rare occasions gave entire regiments permission to don the head-ring and settle down, but such permission came only when the men were too old to be of further value in the field. The entire youth of the nation was thus held in a state of enforced celibacy, the men in the military formations and the girls in the corresponding female guilds, and the few times that Shaka authorized a regiment to spend a day in ukuHlobonga with a particular female guild did little to relieve the pressure.
> Shaka passed the month of September in typical fashion. He displayed his smelling-out prowess; summoning some three hundred women he asked each one whether or not she owned a cat, and then killed them all regardless of the answer. Most of them had been married to men in one of the head-ringed regiments then off in the north. He then developed a mild interest in embryology and sliced open a hundred pregnant women to look into the subject
> Shaka had arrived 63 years ago to claim his inheritance. He had found an apathetic clan no one had ever heard of, who numbered less than the Zulu dead that now lay unburied across the river, and out of them he had fashioned an army and on that army he had built an empire. The proud and fearless regiments had carried their assegais south to the Great Kei River, west to the high veld over the Drakensberg Range and north to Delagoa Bay. He had smashed more than a thousand clans and had driven them from their ancestral lands, and more than two million people had perished in the aftermath of the rise of his empire, which had survived him by a scant fifty years
April 20, 2008
Read earlier edition in the late 80s after visiting parents in Gaborone in 1983. The Zulu history written in James Mitchener's The Covenant and this book match, as well as the incident depicted in the films Zulu (http://tinyurl.com/h7o6b) and Zulu Dawn (http://qurl.com/mw8zn). It is rare that a historical event/period is portrayed so accurately in two books AND two movies. I recommend both books and films if anyone is interested in the Zulu wars. The television film Shaka Zulu> (http://qurl.com/ny1kz) is another great source.
June 12, 2022
This is a well researched, detailed book which traces the rise of the Zulu nation from its beginnings in the early 19th century with the rise of Shaka to the fateful wars with the British in 1879. The author, the American historian Donald R Morris, was encouraged to write this book by Ernest Hemingway who told Morris that there was no published history of the Anglo-Zulu war. Morris was preparing magazine articles on the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift
at the time. After years of research & access to British archival & military records while he was stationed in Germany, the result was ‘The Washing of the Spears’ which was published around the same time, mid-1960s, that the movie ‘Zulu’ was released. I bought my copy of the book when I first visited London in 1970 & had seen the movie. Even though the book is over 600 pages, I found it quite readable, although I did become a bit confused with the Zulu regimental names & their commanders and also the association with various British & Boer settlers. The book provided me with good background when I visited South Africa a couple of years later.
The early chapters cover the depredations of Shaka as he forms what had previously been disjointed clans into an effective fighting force, the trials and tribulations of his successors & their clashes with the Voortrekkers, culminating in the Battle of Blood
River. There are chapters on the settlement of Natal and subsequent intrigues in the governance of the area and the build up to the intervention of British regular troops leading to the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana where a British army was wiped out to a man followed by the courageous defence at Rorke’s Drift (11 Victoria Crosses were awarded after this action - the most of any single action). Further actions are covered to the Battle of Ulundi & the final defeat of the Zulus & the capture of Cetshwayo, the Zulu king who was still confused as to the reason for the war & British Invasion.
The American origin of the author is given away by the use of ‘wrote’ rather than ‘wrote to’ and frequent use of ‘gotten’. This book is a definite must for anyone interested in the history of South Africa.
at the time. After years of research & access to British archival & military records while he was stationed in Germany, the result was ‘The Washing of the Spears’ which was published around the same time, mid-1960s, that the movie ‘Zulu’ was released. I bought my copy of the book when I first visited London in 1970 & had seen the movie. Even though the book is over 600 pages, I found it quite readable, although I did become a bit confused with the Zulu regimental names & their commanders and also the association with various British & Boer settlers. The book provided me with good background when I visited South Africa a couple of years later.
The early chapters cover the depredations of Shaka as he forms what had previously been disjointed clans into an effective fighting force, the trials and tribulations of his successors & their clashes with the Voortrekkers, culminating in the Battle of Blood
River. There are chapters on the settlement of Natal and subsequent intrigues in the governance of the area and the build up to the intervention of British regular troops leading to the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana where a British army was wiped out to a man followed by the courageous defence at Rorke’s Drift (11 Victoria Crosses were awarded after this action - the most of any single action). Further actions are covered to the Battle of Ulundi & the final defeat of the Zulus & the capture of Cetshwayo, the Zulu king who was still confused as to the reason for the war & British Invasion.
The American origin of the author is given away by the use of ‘wrote’ rather than ‘wrote to’ and frequent use of ‘gotten’. This book is a definite must for anyone interested in the history of South Africa.
September 11, 2009
I don't know why, but I'm fascinated by the Zulus and their encounter with European civilization. The book's beginning and end are really strong, while the in-between plods.
The beginning details the arrival of the Zulus and the Europeans in southern Africa. The situation he describes is different than the standard colonization narrative. According to the author, the arrival in mass of the Bantu -- of which the Zulu were a small clan -- in what was to prove the southernmost reaches of Zululand was not much more than a century or two prior to that of European colonists. Both Bantu and European displaced a weaker groups of native Africans, who had themselves displaced the Bushmen. (The book was written 50 years ago so there may well be more current information on these issues.)
The Dutch settlers that came to be known as Boers were in southern Africa for over two-hundred years before the Zulu war with the British Imperial army and its colonial and native allies. By the time of the Zulu War, these Boers were no longer "colonists" in any meaningful sense of the word -- they were themselves essentially natives.
The author clearly relishes his work in describing the great founder of the Zulu Empire, Shaka -- who is an immensely interesting figure. Not nearly so interesting are the many colonial figures and descriptions of colonial affairs that constitute the middle 300 pages of the book.
The books roars back to life with the climactic battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. At Isandlwana, the British army suffered its worst defeat at the hands of a native force. 20,000 Zulus annihilated a 1,500 man component of the invading British army. The Zulu's took no prisoners, and once the British position was surrounded by the Zulu pincers, no man on the British side escaped. Hundreds of native allies fled at the onset of the battle, but only 60 Europeans of around 800 present survived.
The scene portrayed by the author is intense and terrifying. Alone in a remote wilderness at the bottom of the world, the British are suddenly surrounded by an enormous, merciless host of screaming warriors, each of whom take a particular joy in disemboweling their victims. The army, though caught at unawares, holds off the Zulus as they stream to the scene, seemingly out the hills themselves. The, ammunition begins to run low, and the reserve cartridges are found to be sealed in difficult to open crates. Any even momentary lapse in fire allows Zulus to to penetrate the British defense and stream into the camp. As guns run out of ammunition and soldiers frantically try to open the reserves, Zulus pour into the camp. Like a tidal wave, 20,000 warriors overrun the remaining survivors from all directions. In the end, only a few are left to fight in a shrinking circle, back to back, before every last man is hacked to pieces.
Hours later, at nearby Rorke's Drift, a tiny British garrison of around 140 men was surrounded and assaulted by a Zulu army of 4,000. Somehow, the British force held on and when the sun arose the next day, the Zulu army was gone. The ferocious, close-quarters fighting described is riveting -- one can only imagine the desperation of fighting a battle with no possibility of retreat or surrender.
In all of these encounters, the incredible courage displayed by the Zulus, as they charged guns and artillery while often holding only spears, is dramatically apparent. As is the injustice and colossal waste of humanity resulting from the unauthorized attack on the Zulu nation by an overzealous colonial official -- an attack not desired by the London or the British people.
Equally apparent is the incredible odds able to be overcome by even a tiny force when properly arrayed with modern weaponry. Only significant human error permitted Isandlwana. A 20-1 advantage in manpower is readily overcome when breach-loading rifles face spears.
The undoing of the Zulu nation is a sad story, though few tears were probably shed by surrounding tribes. After all, mere decades before Isandlwana, Shaka's relentless efforts to expand the Zulu nation ultimately led to chaos on a Biblical scale, with the mass displacement and death of hundred of thousands, and perhaps even millions, of Africans. He never lived to see the mightiest army in the history of black Africa stand victorious at Isandlwana, but he made that day possible, and was responsible for infinitely more bloodshed than was spilt on that famous field.
I was astonished to learn one side-note of tremendous historical significance. A chapter of the book is devoted to the story of Louis Napoleon, the "Prince Imperial." Louis was the son of Napolean III -- the first President of the French Republic, the last monarch of France, and the nephew of THE Napolean. Louis ended up serving in the British army in the Zulu War, and dying alone at the hands of a small band of Zulus. Though only a single death of a junior officer in a war where thousands would die, it sent shockwaves through Europe, and changed history in ways we can never know. With him died any hope of a return of the Bonapartes to the throne of France. All, it turns out, because of foolishness and miscommunication on the part of the British officers charged with keeping him safe. A mere 35 years before World War I, in the remote reaches of southern Africa, a handful of Zulu tribesmen overran and slaughtered a 23 year lieutenant, not having any idea that he was a Napolean or what that would even mean to the world.
The beginning details the arrival of the Zulus and the Europeans in southern Africa. The situation he describes is different than the standard colonization narrative. According to the author, the arrival in mass of the Bantu -- of which the Zulu were a small clan -- in what was to prove the southernmost reaches of Zululand was not much more than a century or two prior to that of European colonists. Both Bantu and European displaced a weaker groups of native Africans, who had themselves displaced the Bushmen. (The book was written 50 years ago so there may well be more current information on these issues.)
The Dutch settlers that came to be known as Boers were in southern Africa for over two-hundred years before the Zulu war with the British Imperial army and its colonial and native allies. By the time of the Zulu War, these Boers were no longer "colonists" in any meaningful sense of the word -- they were themselves essentially natives.
The author clearly relishes his work in describing the great founder of the Zulu Empire, Shaka -- who is an immensely interesting figure. Not nearly so interesting are the many colonial figures and descriptions of colonial affairs that constitute the middle 300 pages of the book.
The books roars back to life with the climactic battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. At Isandlwana, the British army suffered its worst defeat at the hands of a native force. 20,000 Zulus annihilated a 1,500 man component of the invading British army. The Zulu's took no prisoners, and once the British position was surrounded by the Zulu pincers, no man on the British side escaped. Hundreds of native allies fled at the onset of the battle, but only 60 Europeans of around 800 present survived.
The scene portrayed by the author is intense and terrifying. Alone in a remote wilderness at the bottom of the world, the British are suddenly surrounded by an enormous, merciless host of screaming warriors, each of whom take a particular joy in disemboweling their victims. The army, though caught at unawares, holds off the Zulus as they stream to the scene, seemingly out the hills themselves. The, ammunition begins to run low, and the reserve cartridges are found to be sealed in difficult to open crates. Any even momentary lapse in fire allows Zulus to to penetrate the British defense and stream into the camp. As guns run out of ammunition and soldiers frantically try to open the reserves, Zulus pour into the camp. Like a tidal wave, 20,000 warriors overrun the remaining survivors from all directions. In the end, only a few are left to fight in a shrinking circle, back to back, before every last man is hacked to pieces.
Hours later, at nearby Rorke's Drift, a tiny British garrison of around 140 men was surrounded and assaulted by a Zulu army of 4,000. Somehow, the British force held on and when the sun arose the next day, the Zulu army was gone. The ferocious, close-quarters fighting described is riveting -- one can only imagine the desperation of fighting a battle with no possibility of retreat or surrender.
In all of these encounters, the incredible courage displayed by the Zulus, as they charged guns and artillery while often holding only spears, is dramatically apparent. As is the injustice and colossal waste of humanity resulting from the unauthorized attack on the Zulu nation by an overzealous colonial official -- an attack not desired by the London or the British people.
Equally apparent is the incredible odds able to be overcome by even a tiny force when properly arrayed with modern weaponry. Only significant human error permitted Isandlwana. A 20-1 advantage in manpower is readily overcome when breach-loading rifles face spears.
The undoing of the Zulu nation is a sad story, though few tears were probably shed by surrounding tribes. After all, mere decades before Isandlwana, Shaka's relentless efforts to expand the Zulu nation ultimately led to chaos on a Biblical scale, with the mass displacement and death of hundred of thousands, and perhaps even millions, of Africans. He never lived to see the mightiest army in the history of black Africa stand victorious at Isandlwana, but he made that day possible, and was responsible for infinitely more bloodshed than was spilt on that famous field.
I was astonished to learn one side-note of tremendous historical significance. A chapter of the book is devoted to the story of Louis Napoleon, the "Prince Imperial." Louis was the son of Napolean III -- the first President of the French Republic, the last monarch of France, and the nephew of THE Napolean. Louis ended up serving in the British army in the Zulu War, and dying alone at the hands of a small band of Zulus. Though only a single death of a junior officer in a war where thousands would die, it sent shockwaves through Europe, and changed history in ways we can never know. With him died any hope of a return of the Bonapartes to the throne of France. All, it turns out, because of foolishness and miscommunication on the part of the British officers charged with keeping him safe. A mere 35 years before World War I, in the remote reaches of southern Africa, a handful of Zulu tribesmen overran and slaughtered a 23 year lieutenant, not having any idea that he was a Napolean or what that would even mean to the world.
July 28, 2012
If you only read one chapter of this book, make sure it's the one about the defense of Rorke's Drift. Awesome. then watch the movie Zulu.
unfinished
October 3, 2015I think I read the Shaka part of this in the 2000's.
August 8, 2015
I am having a really hard time in rating this book. First - I am not a fan of non-fiction books really so trying to judge this in comparison to other books (the main way I rate books if the rating doesn't immediately come to me) is not fair as my bases of comparison is fictional works. Second - I stopped reading this book for .... four months or so because it was so... *yawn*. So... yeah.
There are parts of this that are really good (although it is certainly not up to the same standard as other non-fiction war books I've read such as 'Nam' or 'We Were Soldiers Once and Young') but I don't think there were enough really interesting bits to make up for the fact that the main part of this (the section after Shaka but before the battles of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift in particular as that caused the four month hiatus) that are just far too dense.
I think this has to be a 2.5 star rating basically, but as the site doesn't allow that I'm going to bump this to 3 stars. Like I said, not my genre and this was written quite some time ago so the writing style is different. (That and honestly, I would say I liked the book overall and that is what three stars on here means!)
So, now I have worked out the rating onto actually reviewing the book (something I don't do a lot of in my reviews actually!). This book is split into two sections - the first details the 'European' colonisation of the area, the history of the natives, the rise of Shaka and events after his death but prior to the 'invasion'. Now, I found the majority of this to be interesting - the history of the Bantu especially and how Shaka was able to unify the nation. However, the book started to take a turn towards snoozeville when the focus switched to the British.
Now, I am British but... how the hell did we have an Empire??? I mean, the treatment of the soldiers was appalling, and maybe it is just me but when one problem happened the guy that was sent to fix it just did the same thing as the guy before him, and so on and so forth! It just... makes no sense to me at all. And granted, this might have been part of why I lost interest in the early part of part two of this book - aka the confederation chapter.
Part two of the book deals with the reasons why the invasion/war was 'needed', the preparations for the invasion, the events of the invasions and the aftermath. Ultimately I'd say that generally this was an interesting section of the book - if you remove the chapters called Confederation and Preparations. These sections seem to deal with political wrangling so if you find that kind of thing interesting you might enjoy those, if on the other hand you hate politics - definitely not your chapters.
I found the chapter about Isandhlwana interesting, only because I had never heard of it. Perhaps it is just me, but I kind of feel that rather than spending so much time on the Tudors, Stuarts etcetera in History class maybe it would have made sense to spend some time on more modern events - especially on a battle that is described as being worse than Custers Land Stand in the US (and is according to Wikipedia still the "single greatest defeat for the British Army at the hands of a native army"). It might have just been my curriculum but I am pretty sure we never actually spent any time on the Victorian era. I know we did the early history of the UK, but I honestly don't think we ever covered anything to do with the British Empire unless it related to WW1 and WW2 - the Boer War I know was merely a passing reference as to why we were involved in WW1 in the first place. Now I know this is not the Boer War but surely such events should be more than footnotes in our history?
Ah well... the Rorke's Drift chapter was, I think, my favourite in that I had seen parts of Zulu numerous times (though not all the way through) and reading about the actual events was really interesting (having now watched the film fully for the first time ever having read this, and assuming the book to be accurate - the film takes a few (a lot) liberties with the events but is generally (I think) well portrayed)). I'm actually going to be skimming through that section again now as I don't recall it mentioning Chard who is a key character in the film.
I also found the section on the Imperial Prince to be interesting - I had heard of Eugenie but had no idea who she actually was.
Now, I mentioned accuracy... well, there are some elements of this book that I read and I wonder how the hell the author knows that information - now he provides what looks to be an extensive bibliography and comments on sources (got to love the fact that he says the Colenso's work to be rather dense!) and generally this book comes across as being well researched and un-opinionated. That said, any book written well after the period of time it discusses is going to have inaccuracies - but who can say for certain what is accurate and what isn't?
Overall, this was an informative, if not overly readable book. I doubt I will read it again but it has certainly made me more interested in this period of history (and with any luck I'll be making a return trip to the museum in Brecon which holds a lot of memorabilia from these events - I'll be better able to appreciate it now I know more about the events!)
There are parts of this that are really good (although it is certainly not up to the same standard as other non-fiction war books I've read such as 'Nam' or 'We Were Soldiers Once and Young') but I don't think there were enough really interesting bits to make up for the fact that the main part of this (the section after Shaka but before the battles of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift in particular as that caused the four month hiatus) that are just far too dense.
I think this has to be a 2.5 star rating basically, but as the site doesn't allow that I'm going to bump this to 3 stars. Like I said, not my genre and this was written quite some time ago so the writing style is different. (That and honestly, I would say I liked the book overall and that is what three stars on here means!)
So, now I have worked out the rating onto actually reviewing the book (something I don't do a lot of in my reviews actually!). This book is split into two sections - the first details the 'European' colonisation of the area, the history of the natives, the rise of Shaka and events after his death but prior to the 'invasion'. Now, I found the majority of this to be interesting - the history of the Bantu especially and how Shaka was able to unify the nation. However, the book started to take a turn towards snoozeville when the focus switched to the British.
Now, I am British but... how the hell did we have an Empire??? I mean, the treatment of the soldiers was appalling, and maybe it is just me but when one problem happened the guy that was sent to fix it just did the same thing as the guy before him, and so on and so forth! It just... makes no sense to me at all. And granted, this might have been part of why I lost interest in the early part of part two of this book - aka the confederation chapter.
Part two of the book deals with the reasons why the invasion/war was 'needed', the preparations for the invasion, the events of the invasions and the aftermath. Ultimately I'd say that generally this was an interesting section of the book - if you remove the chapters called Confederation and Preparations. These sections seem to deal with political wrangling so if you find that kind of thing interesting you might enjoy those, if on the other hand you hate politics - definitely not your chapters.
I found the chapter about Isandhlwana interesting, only because I had never heard of it. Perhaps it is just me, but I kind of feel that rather than spending so much time on the Tudors, Stuarts etcetera in History class maybe it would have made sense to spend some time on more modern events - especially on a battle that is described as being worse than Custers Land Stand in the US (and is according to Wikipedia still the "single greatest defeat for the British Army at the hands of a native army"). It might have just been my curriculum but I am pretty sure we never actually spent any time on the Victorian era. I know we did the early history of the UK, but I honestly don't think we ever covered anything to do with the British Empire unless it related to WW1 and WW2 - the Boer War I know was merely a passing reference as to why we were involved in WW1 in the first place. Now I know this is not the Boer War but surely such events should be more than footnotes in our history?
Ah well... the Rorke's Drift chapter was, I think, my favourite in that I had seen parts of Zulu numerous times (though not all the way through) and reading about the actual events was really interesting (having now watched the film fully for the first time ever having read this, and assuming the book to be accurate - the film takes a few (a lot) liberties with the events but is generally (I think) well portrayed)). I'm actually going to be skimming through that section again now as I don't recall it mentioning Chard who is a key character in the film.
I also found the section on the Imperial Prince to be interesting - I had heard of Eugenie but had no idea who she actually was.
Now, I mentioned accuracy... well, there are some elements of this book that I read and I wonder how the hell the author knows that information - now he provides what looks to be an extensive bibliography and comments on sources (got to love the fact that he says the Colenso's work to be rather dense!) and generally this book comes across as being well researched and un-opinionated. That said, any book written well after the period of time it discusses is going to have inaccuracies - but who can say for certain what is accurate and what isn't?
Overall, this was an informative, if not overly readable book. I doubt I will read it again but it has certainly made me more interested in this period of history (and with any luck I'll be making a return trip to the museum in Brecon which holds a lot of memorabilia from these events - I'll be better able to appreciate it now I know more about the events!)
May 14, 2014
4.5 stars.
This book is a huge surprise. Written in the mid 1960s, it manages to maintain a careful and objective attitude towards both sides of a confused situation. Morris pulls no punches, in addressing either the Zulus or the British, and this equal opportunity critical analysis makes this a very impressive read.
Covering the history of Natal and the Zulu nation from the 17th century until the end of the 19th century, this book is an exhaustive yet very engaging chronicle of a war started deliberately by the British, fought bravely by both sides, and ultimately leading to the destruction of the greatest military power ever seen in sub-Saharan Africa.
What truly impressed me was the amount of time Morris spent addressing the history of the Zulu people, especially the rise and fall of Shaka in the early 19th century. This attention to Bantu culture and customs made the mistakes made by Europeans even more glaring, and showed the lies and ignorance present in the attitude of the "white man's burden" towards other cultures. At the same time, Morris doesn't hold the Zulus up as "noble savages", as so often happens with portrayals of native cultures. They are people, with all the same strengths and failings as anyone else, and the chains of misunderstanding and cultural incompatibility make it clear that both sides accelerated towards conflict (though there is no question that the British deliberately instigated the war, demanding unmeetable concessions from a foreign leader of a sovereign country with whom they were not at war).
The great battles that will always be remembered, Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Hlobane, Ulundi... this single year defined British colonial attitudes for an entire era, and showed both the dangers inherent in underestimating ones opponents, and the inevitable triumph of technology in warfare.
This book is a huge surprise. Written in the mid 1960s, it manages to maintain a careful and objective attitude towards both sides of a confused situation. Morris pulls no punches, in addressing either the Zulus or the British, and this equal opportunity critical analysis makes this a very impressive read.
Covering the history of Natal and the Zulu nation from the 17th century until the end of the 19th century, this book is an exhaustive yet very engaging chronicle of a war started deliberately by the British, fought bravely by both sides, and ultimately leading to the destruction of the greatest military power ever seen in sub-Saharan Africa.
What truly impressed me was the amount of time Morris spent addressing the history of the Zulu people, especially the rise and fall of Shaka in the early 19th century. This attention to Bantu culture and customs made the mistakes made by Europeans even more glaring, and showed the lies and ignorance present in the attitude of the "white man's burden" towards other cultures. At the same time, Morris doesn't hold the Zulus up as "noble savages", as so often happens with portrayals of native cultures. They are people, with all the same strengths and failings as anyone else, and the chains of misunderstanding and cultural incompatibility make it clear that both sides accelerated towards conflict (though there is no question that the British deliberately instigated the war, demanding unmeetable concessions from a foreign leader of a sovereign country with whom they were not at war).
The great battles that will always be remembered, Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Hlobane, Ulundi... this single year defined British colonial attitudes for an entire era, and showed both the dangers inherent in underestimating ones opponents, and the inevitable triumph of technology in warfare.
February 28, 2015
Dated, but classic. It seems to hold high regard for being a page-turner, full of bloody action and human interest. It is, too, worthy of thoughtful reading by anyone interested in racial conflicts on colonial frontiers.
A half-century on, of course, The Washing of the Spears lacks some of the sensibilities and approaches of our oh-so-sophisticated twenty-first century. There is, for instance, once you get to the core conflict recounted in the book, no hint of Zulu agency. Zulus just swarm like bees, or they sting like hornets; they do not plan, strategize, or adapt. They die in droves, without thinking much about it.
So don't go to this book to find out what the Zulus are trying to do. But for what the British and colonial troops are trying to do, Morris is superb. His discussion of the long tail of British operations is masterly, and is set in the context of a conundrum: a modern army trying to operate divorced from industrialized transport, out of reach of steamships or steam railways. Mules, oxen, Boer wagons, forward bases, couriers, so many things to go wrong! Right down to how many screws there were holding down the lid of a box of cartridges, and the shortage of screwdrivers at Isandlwana.
Personal takeaway: as someone trying to make sense of the Dakota War of the 1860s, I realized that no historian ever has analyzed this North American conflict with the approach of Morris. Much to be gained thereby.
A half-century on, of course, The Washing of the Spears lacks some of the sensibilities and approaches of our oh-so-sophisticated twenty-first century. There is, for instance, once you get to the core conflict recounted in the book, no hint of Zulu agency. Zulus just swarm like bees, or they sting like hornets; they do not plan, strategize, or adapt. They die in droves, without thinking much about it.
So don't go to this book to find out what the Zulus are trying to do. But for what the British and colonial troops are trying to do, Morris is superb. His discussion of the long tail of British operations is masterly, and is set in the context of a conundrum: a modern army trying to operate divorced from industrialized transport, out of reach of steamships or steam railways. Mules, oxen, Boer wagons, forward bases, couriers, so many things to go wrong! Right down to how many screws there were holding down the lid of a box of cartridges, and the shortage of screwdrivers at Isandlwana.
Personal takeaway: as someone trying to make sense of the Dakota War of the 1860s, I realized that no historian ever has analyzed this North American conflict with the approach of Morris. Much to be gained thereby.
February 19, 2013
A review from my old blog...
I give a warning at the beginning. This is a book for history nerds only. :D
While this book took me quite some time to read (because of the enormous length--614 pages--and because of Election Day interruptions) I enjoyed the book.
At the same time it was quite a chore to read. The only reason that the book seemed to make sense to me was because I took a class on the history of Africa and watched a video of the battle that took nearly three hundred pages to recount... or at least I think it took that length.
I found myself confused as the chapters progressed and Morris sort of backtracked when he switched to a new chapter to tell about another flank or division of the British army. I apologize if I confuse anyone. I myself found myself confused by this.
In addition, the small print and large paragraphs also made the book more difficult to read through my normal method. (I tend to in depth skim :D)
I do recommend the book for anyone interested in African history, specifically South African history. I find it intriguing to consider that the province with the highest AIDS infection rate in South Africa (or pretty close to the top) is KwaZuluNatal... or the Zululand of this book.
Unless you have a history fascination or the above mentioned fascination I do not recommend the book unless you need material to fall asleep to.
I give a warning at the beginning. This is a book for history nerds only. :D
While this book took me quite some time to read (because of the enormous length--614 pages--and because of Election Day interruptions) I enjoyed the book.
At the same time it was quite a chore to read. The only reason that the book seemed to make sense to me was because I took a class on the history of Africa and watched a video of the battle that took nearly three hundred pages to recount... or at least I think it took that length.
I found myself confused as the chapters progressed and Morris sort of backtracked when he switched to a new chapter to tell about another flank or division of the British army. I apologize if I confuse anyone. I myself found myself confused by this.
In addition, the small print and large paragraphs also made the book more difficult to read through my normal method. (I tend to in depth skim :D)
I do recommend the book for anyone interested in African history, specifically South African history. I find it intriguing to consider that the province with the highest AIDS infection rate in South Africa (or pretty close to the top) is KwaZuluNatal... or the Zululand of this book.
Unless you have a history fascination or the above mentioned fascination I do not recommend the book unless you need material to fall asleep to.
July 22, 2012
This was an excellent book. It is divided into two parts, as mentioned in the title. The first part starts slow and is meticulously researched and details the history and evolution of the Zulu empire and the tribal politics associated with the successors to Shaka. The book picks up with the depiction of the Zulu War and the movements in each battle are thoroughly detailed and explained. I really enjoyed it, particularly the chapter on Rorke's Drift
July 4, 2009
I always love it when history books are page turners. Morris tells the entire story of the Zulus, from their unification under Shaka to the British invasion and finally their fall under Dinuzulu. Isandlwana and Roarke's Drift are covered in detail as is the entire campaign leading up to the Battle of Ulundi.
February 22, 2013
An incrediably detailed and well researched account of the rise and fall of the Zulu Empire. Many chapters, especially the opening of the 1879 War where Morris focuses on individuals and narrates events from their perspective read like an adventure novel from the Victorian era. For me this book brought this period of history to life and I found the book a page turner.
August 22, 2011
you really cannot put this book down if this subject interests you at all. Read before the Boer War.
Sheds light on British history of oppression among "more ignorant" peoples of the world. The Zulu nation proves it's metal and is not defeated because of it's lack of command, tactics or bravery.
Sheds light on British history of oppression among "more ignorant" peoples of the world. The Zulu nation proves it's metal and is not defeated because of it's lack of command, tactics or bravery.
April 2, 2015
Excellent overview of a crucial period in South African history.
Read
February 2, 2025Review for The Washing of the Spears: A History of the Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation Under Shaka and Its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879 by Donald R. Morris
The Washing of the Spears by Donald R. Morris is a definitive and engrossing account of the rise and fall of the Zulu Kingdom under Shaka and its dramatic defeat in the Anglo-Zulu War. Published in 1965, this book is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and accessible works on Zulu history, presenting an invaluable perspective on both the military tactics and social structures that shaped the rise of one of Africa’s greatest kingdoms.
Key Themes and Insights:
• The Rise of the Zulu Nation: The book covers Shaka’s extraordinary transformation of the Zulu people from a small tribe into a powerful nation. Morris details Shaka’s innovative military strategies, including the introduction of the “iklwa” spear and the famous “buffalo horn” formation, which allowed the Zulu to defeat much larger and better-equipped enemies.
• The Zulu War of 1879: The book focuses heavily on the pivotal Zulu War, particularly the two main engagements that became synonymous with the conflict: the catastrophic British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana, where a vastly outnumbered Zulu force decisively overwhelmed the British, and the subsequent defense of Rorke’s Drift, where a small British garrison held off the Zulu forces and earned eleven Victoria Crosses.
• The Decline of the Zulu Kingdom: The book doesn’t just focus on military victories but also on the political and social consequences of the war, offering a nuanced understanding of how the defeat of the Zulu at the hands of the British led to their eventual decline, despite their earlier triumphs.
Final Verdict:
Morris’s The Washing of the Spears is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of Southern Africa and military history. It not only offers an in-depth look at the Zulu Kingdom’s rise and its eventual fall, but it also provides invaluable context to the Zulu War and its significance within the larger framework of colonialism and British imperialism in Africa. With its clear prose, detailed analysis, and depth of research, this book has rightfully earned its place as one of the foremost works on the Zulu people and their impact on world history.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — A masterpiece in the study of the Zulu nation and its dramatic historical legacy.
The Washing of the Spears by Donald R. Morris is a definitive and engrossing account of the rise and fall of the Zulu Kingdom under Shaka and its dramatic defeat in the Anglo-Zulu War. Published in 1965, this book is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and accessible works on Zulu history, presenting an invaluable perspective on both the military tactics and social structures that shaped the rise of one of Africa’s greatest kingdoms.
Key Themes and Insights:
• The Rise of the Zulu Nation: The book covers Shaka’s extraordinary transformation of the Zulu people from a small tribe into a powerful nation. Morris details Shaka’s innovative military strategies, including the introduction of the “iklwa” spear and the famous “buffalo horn” formation, which allowed the Zulu to defeat much larger and better-equipped enemies.
• The Zulu War of 1879: The book focuses heavily on the pivotal Zulu War, particularly the two main engagements that became synonymous with the conflict: the catastrophic British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana, where a vastly outnumbered Zulu force decisively overwhelmed the British, and the subsequent defense of Rorke’s Drift, where a small British garrison held off the Zulu forces and earned eleven Victoria Crosses.
• The Decline of the Zulu Kingdom: The book doesn’t just focus on military victories but also on the political and social consequences of the war, offering a nuanced understanding of how the defeat of the Zulu at the hands of the British led to their eventual decline, despite their earlier triumphs.
Final Verdict:
Morris’s The Washing of the Spears is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of Southern Africa and military history. It not only offers an in-depth look at the Zulu Kingdom’s rise and its eventual fall, but it also provides invaluable context to the Zulu War and its significance within the larger framework of colonialism and British imperialism in Africa. With its clear prose, detailed analysis, and depth of research, this book has rightfully earned its place as one of the foremost works on the Zulu people and their impact on world history.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — A masterpiece in the study of the Zulu nation and its dramatic historical legacy.
Read
April 1, 2025I'm not one to seek out military history, I just happened to like the look of the book in a used book shop and didn't know much about Zulus, Boers, and British History.
This is a big book, and a lot of the word count does indeed go into recounting military manoeuvering. And yet it's a compulsively readable book.
I wonder how it would be received by modern readers who don't seek out classic nonfiction. This book reminds me of writing advice I received in school to the effect that, in writing, you don't need to say "In my opinion" or "I think" if the assertion you're about to make is obviously an opinion. The reader is to assume that uncited opinions belong to the author.
That is the approach of this book, and I find it so much more readable and engaging than the incredibly impersonal nonfiction that seems to be the preferred style today. Morris does an admirable job of using the power of his authorial voice to explain the Zulu War as demographic fate under the influence of many big egos with imperfect information. This involves passing some unkind judgments on major characters involved as well as judging the situation from the future, using more information than any of the players had available at the time. I think a lot of people don't go for that kind of writing these days, based on the number of reviews of older nonfiction I read where people accuse the authors of coming off as self-important or mean.
The other thing the book has going for it is a truly fascinating passage of human history for its subject, and one not well known to me. I did not know the events of Isandhlwana and it strikes me as one of those strange moments that prove that the world is too complex for the comprehension of man. It's undeniable that the Zulus DID crush a whole British column at Isandhlwana, but even with perfect hindsight it's still hard to understand WHY. No amount of bad decisions added together seems to explain it, considering how similar battles unfolded later on. Perhaps the ultimate explanation is simply that this is how far 20,000 men who desperately wanted to get laid were willing to go to get some action, and the Brits were expecting a more reasonable adversary, the kind that retreats after the first couple thousand fighters drop dead without reaching the enemy lines.
This is a big book, and a lot of the word count does indeed go into recounting military manoeuvering. And yet it's a compulsively readable book.
I wonder how it would be received by modern readers who don't seek out classic nonfiction. This book reminds me of writing advice I received in school to the effect that, in writing, you don't need to say "In my opinion" or "I think" if the assertion you're about to make is obviously an opinion. The reader is to assume that uncited opinions belong to the author.
That is the approach of this book, and I find it so much more readable and engaging than the incredibly impersonal nonfiction that seems to be the preferred style today. Morris does an admirable job of using the power of his authorial voice to explain the Zulu War as demographic fate under the influence of many big egos with imperfect information. This involves passing some unkind judgments on major characters involved as well as judging the situation from the future, using more information than any of the players had available at the time. I think a lot of people don't go for that kind of writing these days, based on the number of reviews of older nonfiction I read where people accuse the authors of coming off as self-important or mean.
The other thing the book has going for it is a truly fascinating passage of human history for its subject, and one not well known to me. I did not know the events of Isandhlwana and it strikes me as one of those strange moments that prove that the world is too complex for the comprehension of man. It's undeniable that the Zulus DID crush a whole British column at Isandhlwana, but even with perfect hindsight it's still hard to understand WHY. No amount of bad decisions added together seems to explain it, considering how similar battles unfolded later on. Perhaps the ultimate explanation is simply that this is how far 20,000 men who desperately wanted to get laid were willing to go to get some action, and the Brits were expecting a more reasonable adversary, the kind that retreats after the first couple thousand fighters drop dead without reaching the enemy lines.
February 5, 2017
This was a tough read for me. I'm not much for historical pieces but this book came highly recommended to me by someone quite special. So I went out of my comfort zone and instead of reading for pleasure, I read for basic knowledge. I don't regret that decision; however, I probably will stick with what I like best. With that being said, I did learn a lot. It's not that I was ignorant to other cultures and societies, but I will say I was naïve. It was really quite interesting to see how certain tribes were formed and what their rituals were. Whether it be diet related, relating to their relationships, the hierarchy, the traditions, the list goes on. It was an eye-opener for sure. It's a tough read. I'm not going to lie. It's boring in some parts, I wanted to throw in the towel more times than I can tell you. But if you have any desire to learn about this history, you will learn a lot from this book.
February 17, 2018
A well researched and well written work that holds up even after all these years. While the centerpiece of the book is the Zulu War the first half does a credible job giving a history of the Dutch and English colonization of South Africa and the migration of the Zulu's south leading to the creation of their Empire under Shaka.
The war is covered well although at times (particularly the section dealing with the Prince Imperial) does have a touch of "Boys Own Adventure" prose.
Rorkes Drift is covered well as are a few of the lesser known battles but the conclusion of the war seems rushed.
One significant failing in my view is the paucity of maps. There is a good diagram of Rorkes Drift but the other battles get minimal cartographic assistance and a general map of the area (to put locations in context) would be helpful.
The war is covered well although at times (particularly the section dealing with the Prince Imperial) does have a touch of "Boys Own Adventure" prose.
Rorkes Drift is covered well as are a few of the lesser known battles but the conclusion of the war seems rushed.
One significant failing in my view is the paucity of maps. There is a good diagram of Rorkes Drift but the other battles get minimal cartographic assistance and a general map of the area (to put locations in context) would be helpful.
March 19, 2021
I liked this book a lot, it provides an incredible amount of detail regarding the rise of the Zulu nation, and moreso on the development of European settlements in the region.
My only complaint is that it very often is too detailed, and it can be difficult to follow who is who due to the vast amount of names that are raised. Similarly, large chunks of the book are incredibly slow reads due to the level of detail in every area of the history. While some will like this level of detail, it made it difficult for me to stick with the book at times and tempted me to drop it.
Despite these flaws though generally the book is really well written and provides an entertaining depiction of the history, especially the battles which are the highlight of the book.
My only complaint is that it very often is too detailed, and it can be difficult to follow who is who due to the vast amount of names that are raised. Similarly, large chunks of the book are incredibly slow reads due to the level of detail in every area of the history. While some will like this level of detail, it made it difficult for me to stick with the book at times and tempted me to drop it.
Despite these flaws though generally the book is really well written and provides an entertaining depiction of the history, especially the battles which are the highlight of the book.
April 22, 2018
I have long been fascinated by the Zulu Empire's multiple military victories over the British Empire. The best book I have ever read on colonial warfare in Africa and good draft of South African history. A really detailed book written by a former CIA officer who takes the time to for example describe theological churches in protestant churches in South Africa during the mid-19th century. One of my all time favorites and one of a handful of books I took with me to Malawi for my Fulbright grant. I sat in on my desk and would discuss the book with my Ngoni (more of less closely related to the Zulu) colleagues.
September 27, 2018
5 stars for the chapters on rorkes drift, Isandlwana and origins of the Zulu Nation and Cape Colony.
Then there was a lot of burdensome detail. The book ran a fine line between entertaining narrative and all inclusive academia. I think for a more casual reader a good editor could have clipped out some of the characters who didn't need much spotlight but the finished work seems to be comprehensive to a fault which I believe was the intent of the author.
I was most impressed by the fair and balanced approach he took to White and African, despot and hero.
An impressive accomplishment and I'm glad I read it.
Then there was a lot of burdensome detail. The book ran a fine line between entertaining narrative and all inclusive academia. I think for a more casual reader a good editor could have clipped out some of the characters who didn't need much spotlight but the finished work seems to be comprehensive to a fault which I believe was the intent of the author.
I was most impressed by the fair and balanced approach he took to White and African, despot and hero.
An impressive accomplishment and I'm glad I read it.
July 5, 2024
This is one of the best historical non-fiction books I have ever read. I did not know much about the Zulu nation's fight against the British in South Africa in the late 1800s. As such, I was fascinated by the author's detailed account. I inherited this book from my father. It was one of his favorites and now it is one of mine. It is a fascinating narrative and another sad tale of European colonialism in Africa. Much historical non-fiction is often dry and can be boring but this author's narrative kept me riveted. If you like good historical narratives, I highly recommend this book.
Want to read
December 18, 2019My name is demario morris i came up with the demario morris theory thought and fact about shocka zulu i contacted you on word press we talked about the sun god Osiris and Oasis i put on there about Cleopatra awesome female dormancy we talked a little more and then you took 1 you took one of each off except the female Donna C that was the only one that didn't have it each so you took that one that's the only one that was left there was no more so whoever what happened know about
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews