Ian Knight

Like the highwaymen of Restoration England and the outlaws of the American Old West, “bushrangers” in Australia became mythologized cultural heroes. They included “Bold Jack” Donohue (supposedly the prototype for the “Wild Colonial Boy” of song), Martin Cash (who behaved courteously toward his victims), “Mad” Dan Morgan (who didn’t), and, of course, Ned Kelly, inventor of homemade armor plate for himself and his gang (and who created something of a stir in Australia when he was portray by Mick Jagger in a film).

This is part of the Osprey “Men at Arms” series, which mostly portrays military personnel in uniform through the ages for military gaming enthusiasts. As a nod to that, the color illustrations also show typical military and police who pursued the bushrangers – including native (Aboriginal) troopers.… (more)

The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 remains among the most famous conflicts of the “age of empire,” largely because of the defeat suffered by the British at the battle of Isandlwana. As Ian Knight demonstrates, however, the battle is of a piece with other elements that make it a dramatic example of imperial hubris. As Knight explains, the war was the brainchild of Sir Henry Bartle Frere, a colonial administrator who, as High Commissioner for Southern Africa, was determined to crush a Zulu kingdom that posed an obstacle to British plans for an Imperial Confederation. Instead of a campaign spent pursuing evasive Zulus, however, the British commander, Lord Chelmsford, was humiliated by the defeat of his main force, which panicked the settlers and forced him to withdraw. What followed was a war of retribution, one in which all sides emerged from the struggle greatly diminished. Though Knight's story that has been told by many authors, with its selection of photographs and maps his book is hard to better for anyone seeking a concise overview of one of the most enduring of Britain’s colonial wars.… (more)