'The Zulu nationalist movement today, whose leaders are in many cases the direct descendants of the men who fought the civil war, and who draw consciously on the Zulu past, is a force which will still affect the course of southern African history.' Jeff Guy's prophetic concluding statement encapsulates the continuing relevance of his masterly analysis of the civil war in Zululand. Acclaimed by the critics: Written with elegance and economy, Dr Guy's book is not only a delight to read; it is a monument to scholarship of the highest order . . . No historian of South Africa or imperialism should be without this splendid book. [History.]

""This is how history should be written. it is based on the three fundamental principles which should form the framework for every historical work. It tells the story of real people's lives; it brings those people to life through imaginative charactersation; it puts their story into its historical context, thus explaining 'why' as well as 'what' occurred. [Labour Weekly.]