Battle of Hlobane

Posts : 57 Join date : 2010-08-17 Location : Southampton

I am rapidly reading a new purchase of mine - 'Zulu vanquished' by Ron Lock (which is fabulous) and just finished the chapter concerning the battle for Hlobane. breathless stuff!

However yet again I have found it almost impossible to follow the sequence of events and topography (despite some lovely colour prints in the book) - and yes I have got 'Blood on the Painted Mountain' by same author.

Of all the battles during the AZ war I am constantly drawn to this one as it combines every act of bravery (cowardice?) and terror in equal measures but unlike RD and Isandlwana the men had more choices to make as individuals, some of which ultimately led to their demise.

Can anyone recommend any source material that may be able to help me? - something more diagrammatic than the hand drawn illustrations with arrows would be great - perhaps it is the nature of the battle that creates such a difficulty in trying to replicate the pell-mell that existed on the day.

Guest

hiya Younghusband, you dont say, but
have you a copy of the late Huw Jones's
The Boiling Cauldron..excellent book of
the sort i suspect you need. cheers
xhosa2000

Posts : 57 Join date : 2010-08-17 Location : Southampton

Thanks Xhosa not one that I have seen before - a quick look around the online stores and the cheapest copy is £40 - will keep looking

Drove past Hlobane on my way from RD to Nelspruit a couple of years ago but was warned off trying to find my own way around - not only would I not be able to recognise the features but apparently there are some dangerous mining works that are breaking up parts of the hill making the area treacherous.

May have missed an opportunity though

Subject: Re: Battle of Hlobane Tue Dec 03, 2013 7:46 pm

Younghusband,

There's a good map in Laband & Thompson's The Illustrated Guide to the Anglo-Zulu War - the last incarnation of their Field Guide....

I've got a couple of pieces written by H. Evelyn Wood on Hlobane in The Bravest Deed I Ever Saw... series that appeared Pearson's Magazine.

I wrote a piece on Hlobane which was published some years entitled Horror at the Devil’s Pass. I revamp it on here if you are interested?

John Y.