Blood on the Painted Mountain. Zulu Victory and Defeat Hlobane and Kambula, 1879 (SIGNED)

Blood on the Painted Mountain-Zulu Victory and Defeat Hlobane and Kambula, 1879.

The Zulu stronghold of Hlobane('the painted mountain') dominated a vast area of disputed land in northern Natal. It was the scene of a terrible reverse for the British, but at Kambula the next day they inflicted an even more catastrophic defeat upon the Zulus. The Zulus never fully recovered from this repulse, and it marked the turning point in the war.

The slaughter at Hlobane was second only to that of Isandlwana two months earlier, which ravaged morale in the British Army. This was in part responsible for the highly questionable conduct of some of the officers when faced with the enemy at Hlobane, leading to the British rout at Devil's Pass. Without defeat at Hlobane, however, victory at Kambula might not have been possible: the warriors of the leading Zulu regiments, over-confident after their resounding success, were easily provoked into an ill-judged attack on the enemy camp at Kambula, and exhausted themselves before the British survivors of the previous day's battle set out in pursuit. leaving 1000 Zulu dead on the Zunguin Plain.

Hardback with Dustcover-Signed to title page. 224 pages text with supporting maps, illustrations and photographs. FINE.