or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
20 used & new from £6.67
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Washing of the Spears: Rise and Fall of the Great Zulu Nation
 
See larger image 

See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Washing of the Spears: Rise and Fall of the Great Zulu Nation (Paperback)

by Donald R. Morris (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.99
Price: £12.29 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.70 (35%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 10? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
11 new from £11.22 9 used from £6.67
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (1st) 3 used & new from £18.00
Paperback (New edition) 6 used & new from £1.53
Audio Cassette Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with David Rattray's Guidebook To The Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields by David Rattray

The Washing of the Spears: Rise and Fall of the Great Zulu Nation + David Rattray's Guidebook To The Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields
Price For Both: £21.54

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

David Rattray's Guidebook To The Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields

David Rattray's Guidebook To The Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields

by David Rattray
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £9.25
The Boer War

The Boer War

by Thomas Pakenham
4.8 out of 5 stars (8)  £9.98
Zulu

Zulu

by Saul David
4.1 out of 5 stars (17)  £6.73
The Zulu Wars 1879 [DVD]

The Zulu Wars 1879 [DVD]

DVD ~ Robert Powell
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £8.58
The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War (Pan Grand Strategy Series)

The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War (Pan Grand Strategy Series)

by Ian G Robertson
4.7 out of 5 stars (3)  £7.19
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 672 pages
  • Publisher: Pimlico; New edition edition (3 Nov 1994)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0712661050
  • ISBN-13: 978-0712661058
  • Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.4 x 5.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 42,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #4 in  Books > History > Countries & Regions > Africa > 1500-1900
    #5 in  Books > History > Social & Economic History > Imperialism
    #8 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Multicultural Studies > Indigenous Peoples

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Rise And Fall opens new browser window
www.gamesplanet.com  -  download the game for 9,99£ Secure, Fast Download 
  
 

Product Description

Product Description

Donald Morris delivers an account of the rise of the Zulu nation in southern Africa, and its fall under Cetshwayo in the Zulu war of 1879. For more than a century after the European landing at Cape Town in the 17th century, the Boers had advanced unopposed into the vast interior of Africa. It was not until 1824 that Europeans came face to face with another expanding and imperial power, the Zulus, the most formidable nation in black Africa. That confrontation culminated in a bitter war between the Zulu warriors and Victoria's British Army. It was the last despairing effort of Africans to stem the tide of white civilization. The result was a dramatic, legendary and bloody defeat at Isandhlwana for the British; the aftermath was the defeat and fall of the Zulu nation. This work sets out to be not only a history of the Zulus but also a full-scale study of the British colonial and military policy in relation to southern Africa, and of those involved.

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Washing of the Spears: Rise and Fall of the Great Zulu Nation
90% buy the item featured on this page:
The Washing of the Spears: Rise and Fall of the Great Zulu Nation 5.0 out of 5 stars (6)
£12.29
Shaka Zulu
3% buy
Shaka Zulu 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War (Pan Grand Strategy Series)
2% buy
The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War (Pan Grand Strategy Series) 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£7.19
Zulu
2% buy
Zulu 4.1 out of 5 stars (17)
£6.73
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fine account of the rise and fall of a proud nation., 1 Jun 2000
By D. Russell (Chester, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
From the early pages to the very end, Donald Morris gives a detailed yet enthralling account of the rise and fall of the Zulus as a nation. In the beginning, they , as the white man, were invaders in Southern Africa, and the early chapters evoke little sympathy for the rise of the nation under Shaka, its unifying leader. The real losers at this time were the Bushmen and Hottentots. But as the book progresses, there is a gradually developing air of despair about the descriptions of Shaka's royal successors trying to come to terms with the power and ambition of the British. The incomprehension which marked the relationship is at times truly pathetic, and in the end it became shameful how the nation was destroyed by imperial insecurity and the ambition of ruthless individuals.

When Cetshwayo, then king, was captured at the end of the war of 1879, he was taken to Cape Town en route to London. It was the first modern town he had seen. "I am a very old man", he whispered as he gazed at the shipping in the bay. He was only 52, but he had seen his nation, little removed from the Iron Age, destroyed by men from a country where steamships, railways and cities were commonplace. They never had a chance.

There were acts of bravery and devotion to duty on both sides, but in the end, no winners in any human sense. This is a marvellous and moving book for anyone interested in people and their histories.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, 28 Aug 2005
This is in exceptional work of history, both meticulous and vividly rendered. Anyone unfamiliar (as I was) with the detailed history of southern Africa in the colonial age, and the at once glorious and tragic history of the Zulu nation, will find themselves both educated, moved, and enthralled by Morris' account.

In a three-way power play, British, Boer, and Zulu nations stuggled mightily in the mid and late 19th century for dominance in a wild but bountiful land. The diverse tribes of the traditional Bantu culture having been consolidated, usually in most brutal fashion, but in the first true Zulu King, Shaka, the Europeans for once had a centralized, powerful and militarily innovative native opponent. Despite half a century of confict mixed with attempts at both accomodation and "civilisation", the pressure of land, the discovery of diamonds, and the inevitable misunderstandings and prejudices of the era mean that ultimately all-out war was on its way. Cetshwayo, the last great Zulu king of that time, fought magnificently, ruthlessly, brutally, and unsuccessfully, against the modern and mighty armies of the Crown.

One of Morris' greatest achievements is that he avoids the usual stereotyping of either the "noble savage" or the ruthless european. On all sides of the conflict, Morris' South Africa is a tapestry of characters ranging from the sympathetic Bishop Colenso, through the enlightened, Zulu-speaking, yet utterly ruthless colonial administrator Shepstone, though to the sometimes naive but ultimately canny Zulu leaders like Cetshwayo. Neither side had a monopoly on either brutality or nobility, which is what makes this tale of the spectacular rise and fall of the Zulus even more compelling.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Stuff, 11 Jul 2008
By anthony (Brazil) - See all my reviews
I was surprised to see this book only has 2 reviews so I thought I'd add my 5-star rating. Possibly the best historical book I've ever read (and one I re-read every few years) - exciting, because I didn't know the story, and superbly told. The Brits are the villains, the Boers are sympathetically and fairly portrayed, and the tragedy of the Zulus, who at the end don't even know why they're fighting, is heart-breaking. It helps you to understand the mess that South Africa got into with apartheid, if that interests you. But even if it doesn't this is a great story which I can't recommend too highly.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfactory Book Purchase
Book in excellent condition, arrived well packed & very soon after ordering.
Very pleased with fast & efficient service.
Published 1 month ago by Mr. P. R. Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars Washing of the Spears
Wow, what can I say?
This is a fascinating read and more or less a history of Africa, since the Zulu nation formed out of forced migrations of different tribes on the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by C. Hardy

5.0 out of 5 stars Fighting the Zulu Impis
Read this excellant History regarding the Mightly Zulu Nation,it will leave you in no doubt what so ever as to how they dominated southern Africa in the 1800s. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2003 by Allisone

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject

















i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.