Review by Dawn Grant

You can't beat this book for the illustrations. As the name suggests, it looks at the sites of the battles of the Zulu War and compares early photographs and lithographs of the time with modern photographs. There are pictures of gravesites, both in the past and the present which create a reference point for those who wish to visit the sites.

What is also great in this book is the letters and reports of the men who were there which gives an insight into the thoughts and actions of the men at the time. The text of the writers introduces the main elements of each action and then the pages are filled with the words of the men themselves, allowing them to tell the story.
While the book deals with the main elements of the battles themselves, the last few chapters look at certain aspects of the campaign such as the British Fortifications, the graves of Zululand and the battlefields today. There is even a chapter on the films of the Zulu War which make interesting reading.

It is a large format book, in landscape form, with pictures on almost every page. It features maps at the end of the book, comparing old topographical maps with more modern day ones. These, however, can be confusing to read. Apart from this there are few maps within the text itself.

Altogether a satisfying book for a visual reader.
(June 2006)