Nothing Remains but to Fight: The Defence of Rorke's Drift, 1879

Ignoring the exaggerated stories of legend, many of which have found their way into print masquerading as fast, Ian Knight combines contemporary eyewitness accounts, some hitherto obscure, with the results of recent archaeological surveys of the site, in order to present the story of what actually happened – a story all the more remarkable for being true. He considers the battle from both the British and the Zulu perspectives, suggesting reasons for the failure of the Zulu assault; looks at the subsequent history of the Rorke’s Drift site from the 1880s up to the recent museum work; and recounts the destinies that lay in store for the survivors of the battle – not only the heroes and defenders of Rorke’s Drift, but also some of the Zulu attackers. “Nothing Remains But to Fight” includes a wide range of illustrations, some previously unpublished, as well as the better known photographs contemporary with the battle. Maps follow and explain the various stages of the assault and defence. This is the first detailed, thorough and comprehensive account of what really happened at Rorke’s Drift.