
Brutal Valour: The Tragedy of Isandlwana
The Anglo-Zulu War, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Waters
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By:
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James Mace
It is December 1878, and war looms on the horizon in South Africa. British high commissioner Sir Henry Bartle-Frere seeks to dismantle the powerful neighboring kingdom of the Zulus and uses an incursion along the disputed border as his justification for war. He issues an impossible ultimatum to the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, demanding he disband his armies and pay massive reparations. With a heavy heart, the king prepares his nation for war against their former allies.
Leading the invasion is Lieutenant General Sir Frederic Thesiger, Baron Chelmsford, a highly experienced officer fresh off a decisive triumph over the neighboring Xhosa tribes. He and Frere are convinced that a quick victory over the Zulus will negate any repercussions from the home government for launching what is, in essence, an illegal war.
Recently arrived to South Africa are newly recruited privates Arthur Wilkinson and Richard Lowe, members of C Company, 1/24th Regiment of Foot under the venerable Captain Reginald Younghusband. Eager for adventure, they are prepared to do their duty both for the empire and for their friends.
As Frere's ultimatum expires, the army of British redcoats and allied African auxiliaries crosses the uMzinyathi River at Rorke's Drift into Zululand. Ten days later the British and Zulus will meet their destiny at the base of a mountain called Isandlwana.
©2016 James M. Mace (P)2017 James M. MaceListeners also enjoyed...




















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amazing
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Listener received this title free
Superb storytelling. The book blends a historical event and a fictional dialogue.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. I couldn't put it down.
I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily left this honest review.
Loved it
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Kindle version has photos
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Truth in Fiction?
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Thrilling account of a battle
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Outstanding!!
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Listener received this title free
What I appreciated most is both sides are told and neither side is made out to be the villain, except those who actually started the conflict with their own selfish motivations.
I feel that the British and the Zulus whose stories are told herein would feel that this book did them justice.
Once again, as many times throughout history, the astounding and needless loss of life involved in war is painful to revisit.
The amount of research James Mace has done to write this series is astounding.
Jonathan Waters is an incredibly talented narrator. His Zulu accent and voices, as well as the voices he chose for the different British army personnel are really spot on. I looked many of the people up on Wikipedia as I was listening and felt that he really nailed what their voice would have sounded like. He really brought them all to life.
I was provided this audiobook to review.
Brutal History Wonderfully Retold
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What a ride!
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Listener received this title free
This story is so rich in detail, which feels utterly well researched that it blends perfectly the historical nature with the fictional narrative. The parties within the story are very clearly delinated which makes it easy to follow - and yet, given the story's premises, i am drawn from supporting one and then the other. On several occasions in this listen I am touched on my base values (honor among soldiers/warriors being one of them) to a point where I rewind and relisten - just to make sure I actually registrered what happened.
The level of detail in the descriptions of especially the Zulu culture and traditions and the tribal affiliations is incredible. For someone like me, who likes the idea of hero leaders, there is a veritable host of interesting cast. The characterisation of key personae is so vivid it made me realize why so many campaigns fail misserably even though "everything was planned and strategized intelligently and wisely" (Mind you, dear reader, not just in a war setting but also in my real life business experience)
I like the fact that, while some passages are gory, it never seems to go over the top to prove a point. Its sober in a sense, in that it is enough for me to get that slight gut wrenching feeling and a bit of a tingle in the extremieties described but never to a point where I go "oh man!!" which makes this a very balanced listen. It isn't a caricature of "North vs. South brutality" but a harsh "war is terrible and unpredictable" which sets this book apart from others I have read.
One thing I do slightly miss, is a deeper sense of connection with some of the major cast's emotions regarding personal relationships. There is personal dilemma and certainly the sense of personall loss in the face of war, but it seem underdeveloped in some instances where an epilogue might have shed some more ligtht on the war distress.
. It isn't the point of the narrative, so it does not detract from the vividness of the story - it is more like...icing, really. It can also easily be explained by the nature of infrastructure and sheer distances in the setting.
I especially like the feeling of isolation the narrative conveys. The army is far, far away from home, queen, country and representation of rule - and it shows in the development of decisions and the consequent actions.
A very recommendable listen.
Jan
Brutal indeed - awsome for war history buffs
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Listener received this title free
The performance by Jonathan Waters was wonderful. He really nailed these characters and all the different accents. I totally imagined I was watching a movie and shouting out orders to the soldiers had me wanting to stand at attention. Bravo 👏
This is book 1 in this series. If this is your genre I recommend this book.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
Fascinating story!💜
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