Osprey's British Infantryman vs Zulu Warrior

A sad fact of the 19th century and before is that those world powers who were both industrially and militarily strong felt that places that were neither were theirs for the taking. One of the more egregious players in this empire building game at this time were the British. They felt it was the will of God or something for them to 'bring the savages under the caring arms of Britannia' or some such drivel. One of the reasons they got away with this was due to their army and their technological superiority in terms of weapons. No place was this more apparent than in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.

In this book from Osprey in their Combat series, we take a look at the two main adversaries in this war. One was the British soldier. He had been trained to some great extent in the ways of battle with their officers using manuals that provided the latest and greatest in the ways of war. These were tried and true ways of conducting battle gained through much experience against other powers and in other places in the Empire.

On the other side of things were the Zulu warriors. The Zulus had only been united for less than 100 years, but they had a strong warrior upbringing. Like the British, the Zulu had their troops gathered into fighting groups. Only unmarried men were eligible to be troops and their skills at hunting and fighting each other had been honed over the years. They had a spirit that was unlike that of the British. They knew the territory and knew how to fight in it.

However, the Zulu had little in the way of modern weapons. There were rifles and muskets available with some tribesmen using flintlocks. Hardly standardized stuff. No heavier weapons and the main weapon was the spear. WHen it came to close-in fighting, the Zulu could not be defeated. The British had the latest Martini-Henry rifles along with cannon and Gatling guns. The British also required a rather comprehensive supply train, something the Zulus did not. The latter item was something that made it difficult for the British to move in any sort of stealth. The Zulu, on the other hand, was able to get supplies from locals and often went days without food if required.

In this book the author takes into consideration a few early events following the British invasion of Zulu terriorty. It shows that, in most cases, the advanced weaponry of the British was enough to hold off the Zulu. However, there were instances when the British did not use this weaponry to advantage and the result was not good for the redcoats. However, the British did learn and went to adopting tactics that made sure the Zulu did not get through as once they did, it was not good for the Brits. 

As with other books in this series, we look at each side in terms of leadership, training, tactics and equipment. This is followed by several battle examples to see how each side fares and how much they learn from the experience. The book is superbly illustrated with period photos and illustrations as well as art work and maps. It makes for a real insight into the two groups and is a fascinating read in its own right. I'm sure you will enjoy this one.