Like Wolves On The Fold

Wednesday 22 January 1879 was one of the most dramatic days in the annals of military history.  In the morning, a modern British army was swept aside by the onset of a seemingly unstoppable host at Islandwana.  Nearby, at a remote border outpost on the Buffalo River, a single company of the 24^th Regiment and a few dozen recuperating hospital patients were passing another hot, monotonous day. News of the disaster across the river came like a bolt from the blue. Retreat was not an option. It seemed certain that the Rorke’s Drift detachment would share the terrible fate of their comrades.

Following on from How Can Man Die Better, Colonal Snook brings the insights of a military professional to bear in this strikingly original account.  It is an extraordinary tale – a victory largely achieved by the sheer bloody-mindedness in adversity of the British infantryman, fighting at the remarkable odds of over thirty to one. 

The heroics of all 11 Victorian Cross winners are recounted in detail, and we are offered new insights into how the Zulu attack unfolded and how 150 men achieved their improbable victory. The author describes the remainder of the war, from the recovery of the lost Queen’s Colour of the 24^th to the climatic charge of the 17^th Lancers at Ulundi.

We return to Isandlwana to consider culpability, and learn of the often tragic fates of many of the war’s participants. Like Wolves is a remarkable work, and the author’s unbridled respect for the fighting qualities of British soldiers and his abiding affection for the Zulu people shines through.

the author, Colonal Mike Snook is a serving officer of the Royal Regiment of Wales (formerly the 24^th), and Richard Holmes described his first book on Isanlwana as ‘the most powerful and moving account of the great Zulu epic that I have read.’

Like Wolves On The Fold: The Defence of Rorke’s Drift, by Lieutenant Colonel R H Lloyd-Jones costs £25.00 and is available from all good book shops.  Alternatively you can buy it from Amazon for £16.50.