'Rorke's Drift - A New Perspective' - now released

Hi all,


My Rorke's Drift book is now available to buy. It is available from the usual places (Amazon, Waterstones etc)

It is also available direct from the publisher - Fonthill Media.
The link provides photographs and additional info on the book - http://fonthillmedia.com/epages/a72b332e-5c82-4e84-ad34-4c5316ee7a6b.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=16627734

Alternatively, I have a number of copies on the way to me which I can offer (they can be signed if required)

Neil

Very well done Neil.. what a treat, i have been looking
forward to this, i'm ordering it now!.

Bought from the publisher 2 mins ago, i hope
you enjoy lots of support.

Hello Les,

Very many thanks.

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it will create some interesting discussion on here.

Neil

Well done Neil, I certainly look forward to a good read and im sure to learning a lot.

Regards

Frank

Good to have you back Frank , I trust all is , and went well ? , just in time for the Day / Night Test , which I'll miss , as I'll be away . It may be a good thing that I wont see any of it !
90th

Hi Gary
Nice to be out and about. Really rather glad I missed seeing the greatest rugby aura in the world trashed completely by England and then Italy. I may never eat fish and chips or spaghetti again.
Regards
Frank

Hhahahaahaha , I see we won something in Rugby , the Four Nations or whatever , they seemed pretty happy , is it a big deal to win that Comp ??
90th

Hi Gary
Its a Rugby League competition. Not such a big thing, not a lot of countries play it. As far as im aware its not right through the UK either, confined to the Northern Counties.

Cheers

Anyway without being rude, its pink balls time.

Yes it is Frank !! , time for those pink balls to be swinging all over the place , just like last year , it was all over in 3 days !
90th

That's what my wife say's. But is all over in 3 min's

Geez , that long ! , good on ya !
90th

Frank you sly old dog, you have a piece in Neil's book! Arrived this morning and much looking forward to it - great illustrations.

Steve

ah yes, forgot to mention that, must say it was great working with Neil and his dad.
Looking forward to my copy arriving.

Cheers

Frank Allewell wrote:

ah yes, forgot to mention that, must say it was great working with Neil and his dad.
Looking forward to my copy arriving.

Cheers

I hope that Neil and his dad have not been contaminated by your opinion about Major Clery

Amitié.

Frédéric

. My involvement is more architecture rather than the content. Photos, locality advice etc. The actual concept is all Neil, the graphics his dad.
Shame that poor misunderstood Major Clery..............
A question for you Frederic, something I came across while doing research, and something intrinsically French connected.
Q) What was buried in a biscuit Tin on the banks of the Tshotshosi. And by whom, come to that, who dug it up?
And for all the forum while in a quiz mood:
Q) What character was nik named "Dogwatch"
Q) who provided the sketch for Alphonse de Neville

Cheers

This is the sketch De Neuville used, won't say who did it at this stage - but De Neuville's finished painting was somewhat better!

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Steve

Yes, Harry Lugg's sketch (as above)

Neil

Frank Allewell wrote:

. My involvement is more architecture rather than the content. Photos, locality advice etc. The actual concept is all Neil, the graphics his dad.
Shame that poor misunderstood Major Clery..............
A question for you Frederic, something I came across while doing research, and something intrinsically French connected.
Q) What was buried in a biscuit Tin on the banks of the Tshotshosi. And by whom, come to that, who dug it up?
And for all the forum while in a quiz mood:
Q) What character was nik named "Dogwatch"
Q) who provided the sketch for Alphonse de Neville

Cheers

Bonsoir Frank,
A trooper in the NMP was nicknamed "dogwatch" (Clarke)
The viscera of the Prince Imperial were buried in a biscuit tin.
It's the escort of Princess Eugenie which found the biscuit tin.

But, our friend Barry can give better answers than me.

Cheers, Mate.

Frédéric

The source is "A Natal Family looks back" by H.C. Lugg
It's Trooper Clarke who buried the viscera in a biscuit tin.
In 1880, Trooper Clarke who was with the escort of Princess Eugenie recovered the remains of the Prince.

Cheers

Frank,
Where a pair of boots that belonged to the Prince can been seen today?  
I apologize to Neil and the others members, I am off-topic.

Cheers

Frédéric

Well done guys.
No flies on this forum. But always nice to push the boundaries.

Frank

Hi Frank, Frederic,

Correct, William Clarke earned his sobriquet, "Dogwatch" prior to arriving in Natal in March 1878, when he was a young trainee ships officer apprenticed to BEIC ( British East India Company). He was was employed  sailing their windjammers on  the Oriental trade routes Bombay/Calcutta- London.  On this route he frequently  sailed up and  down the eastern seaboard of Southern Africa . As he preferred taking his turn as ship's officer of the watch during very early morning and evening, ie the "Dog watchs ", in  Naval parlance, he became known as "Dogwatch" to his close  friends.
He was the only one in the NMP recovery party who knew where the biscuit tin containing the Prince Imperial's viscera was buried near the Ityotyosi river, post the embalming of the  body. He was thus present when it was recovered and raptriated to the Arc de Triomphe de l' Etoile in Paris where it was housed along with those of others in his family. Earlier, Trooper Clarke was also part of the honour guard  when the Prince's remains were taken to Durban and shipped back to England on HMS Boadecia.
The sequel to all of this was that in the winter of 1880,  Clarke was also part of the 19 man NMP guard party escorting Princess Eugenie into Zululand on her visit to the site of the Prince Imperial's brutal demise.  During the French Royal visit the newly promoted Corporal Clarke became very friendly with the Empress of the French,  Princess Eugenie. He spent long hours  whilst driving her spider through Zululand  on this sad pilgrimage, telling her first hand  in French whilst she sat quietly beside him on the spider, all he knew of the AZW.
She was very interested  too in how her son's dead body was found and what the arrangements were to recover and return it. This friendship was to last a lifetime as he was expected to call on her whenever visiting London in later life. On each such visit he had to recount the story again.  On these occasions  high tea was arranged in the palace for this visitor. During the tea,  Clarke would be shown the well nurtured clump of tamboekie grass, loving kept in  a pot in the  palace nursery.  The roots of this grass had been brought back to England from the blood stained soil taken from the site of the Prince Imperials demise on the Ityotyosi river.
During this pilgrimage to Zululand  in 1880, and whilst camped at Isandlwana for a night with Gen Wood and the French Royal party on the return journey to Pietermaritzburg,  a Zulu warrior named  Zabanga, the man believed to have performed the coup degras on the Prince Imperial was brought into Wood's camp by the Fynn's Police.  This man Zabanga, in extreme trepidation  and expecting the ultimate in punishment, told the Princess firsthand and graphically, how her son had died. Following Zabanga's testimony Eugenie became very melancoholy and asked to be left alone with her thoughts at the camp fire, for the rest of the night.
The Princess, very graciously, would not hear of  the Colonial authorities meting out any punishment  to Zabanga.  
Corporal Clarke, then  20 years of age, was the official scribe on this tour.

regards

barry

Bonjour,
Barry, fascinating  narrative.
Cheers
Frédéric

I.E: A pair of boots belonged to the Prince Imperial can be seen at the Musée de la chaussure at Romans (Drome) / France

Well done, I will order my copy as promised.

Thank's for that, i will check the Journal's for Adrian's current opinion
re Adendorff or will e mail him for same.. well mate i've finished
' speed reading ' the Defence, and will peruse the bio's over the next
few day's, then i will re read the Defence again in depth and match
them up to the source's.. but can i please say that i am more than im-
pressed with the very detailed narrative.. but i'm sure we will all discuss
this in greater detail over the year's. Yes i have all JB's work including
this year's work, i admire him. Eric Thornton deserves a M.I.D. for his
exciting and sensitive illustration's. your work deserve's a wider audience
and i hope you, yourself are happy with the result. cheer's.

Thanks for the feedback Les,

Always good to hear!

For those instances where I have described something new or 'different' I have covered my reasoning later in the book. For example - my description of Private Roy's endeavours are explained in full in his bio. Incidentally, the biographies are not a repeat of all the fine detail that has been published before (for example family detail). Instead I concentrate more on their actions during the battle.
  Other instances - for example, Hitch and Allen's actions which earned them the VC, are also described and explained later in the book. Also, the accounts containing new information which is included in the main narrative, are included in their entirety towards the back of the book. (for example Lyons unedited account which explains about the skirmishers, the fate of Fagan, Lyons shouting to the men and Dalton helping him before being wounded etc)

I shall pass your comments on to my dad. His sketches seem to have gone down really well.

I actually had to omit much of what I wanted to include due to space but I'm currently in talks to produce a further book with further information.

Thanks again for your comments Les, and please don't trouble yourself with the Adendorff query. I have been in recent contact with Dr. Greaves and am aware of his opinion.

Cheers mate
Neil

Again many thanks Neil, i will read it most carefully taking on board
your comment's above, cheers

My wife as just brought this book has one of my Christmas presents, i hope there is more!! i look forward to reading it.

Just for those who might not have seen this.

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A comprehensive bio of Chard.

And an early account.

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Having now read Neil's book, I have to say that I am very impressed.
It's like approaching the subject anew.

It is extremely comprehensive and covers so much new ground, it makes
me wonder why I've never seen it all before. The story is told just as a new
perspective and that throws up a host of new (to me) facts about events and
timings. All this a backed up by painstaking research and reference material.

It fills in gaps which existed but with material which is important. It throws
light on events where there was little or no information.

All this is supplemented with very helpful illustrations and material on the
defenders, much of it new. A definite addition to anyone's collection.

Alan Admin RDVC...

That echo's my thought's exactly, i think this might well be the definitive
account of the Defence.. i have no hesitation in recommending this to anybody
who has read what went before regarding the Immortal Defence. i am at
present going through previous well known account's.

Neil.. again.. bloody well done!.. i hope the signing went well Saturday past.

Many thanks Les, that's very good of you to say, and very pleasing too!

I'm currently in the advanced stages of securing a further AZW book deal so it's good to know that the first has been well received.

Thanks again mate.
Neil

Oh, the book signing went very well, thanks.

If I had a pound for every time I was asked if the men were really Welsh, or if they really sang Men of Harlech, I'd be a wealthy man (well, I'd probably only have about £50 but you get the idea)

Neil

nthornton1979 wrote:

Many thanks Les, that's very good of you to say, and very pleasing too!

I'm currently in the advanced stages of securing a further AZW book deal so it's good to know that the first has been well received.

Thanks again mate.
Neil

Bonjour,
Please, what is the main subject of this second book?

Cheers

Frédéric

Anything in the book about David Jenkins. Was he there!

I have deliberately shied away from revealing content detail's, please sas1 buy
a copy, you wont be sorry.. or drop a hint to a loved one it's an ideal xmas
prezzie.

Can anyone else tell me. Don't really want to buy the book until I know, new information on Jenkins is there. If there is I'll buy!

Hi SAS,

There is nothing 'new' about Jenkins, although I fully believe he was there.

He does get a mention but if you are considering buying the book purely for information on Jenkins then you'd probably be better off saving you money on this occasion.

Neil

ymob wrote:

nthornton1979 wrote:

Many thanks Les, that's very good of you to say, and very pleasing too!

I'm currently in the advanced stages of securing a further AZW book deal so it's good to know that the first has been well received.

Thanks again mate.
Neil

Bonjour,
Please, what is the main subject of this second book?

Cheers

Frédéric

Hi Frédéric,

There is no 'main' subject as such. The book will be some time off yet so I cannot really expand at the minute although I'll be sure to do so when possible.

I can add that nothing like it has been done before, hence my reluctance to reveal the concept just yet.

Cheers
Neil

Bonjour Neil,
Thank you for your answer despite your reluctance.
" Nothing like it has been done before".... very intriguing!
Cheers
Frédéric

Hi Neal

Thank you so much for the signed copy.
Such an excellent book I didn't want it to end.
I learned so many new facts and haven't stopped talking about it with anyone who will listen.
I would recommend this book to anyone.
Thanks again and looking forward to your next one hopefully with more illustration's.

Geraint

Good man Geraint. Thank you for buying it and for the kind words.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Neil

ordered it today for Xmas. Am looking forward to reading it.

And Frank I have managed to avoid any comment on Italy's rugby victory and whilst Kudu Biltong is a gift from the gods please don't give up on pasta just yet.

Hi Neil
Dropped subtle hints like title, author, publisher etc so fingers crossed. If no luck I shall be forced to buy it myself!

Nadolig llawen, and a Happy New Year

24th foot

Hi Neil,
Was most impressed with the 20 hour delivery lead time through Amazon in the UK.
Good work done Neil, and a refreshing new approach, regardless of past holy cows.
This book is a must for the AZW library.

regards,

barry

Hi Barry,

Twenty hours is very impressive!

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback!

Neil

Hi Neil
Pleased to say received a copy from my wife on Christmas day. Clearly my hints weren't too subtle for her. Really looking forward to reading it.

Regards

24th foot

Glad to hear it 24th ...

I hope you enjoy it!

Cheers
Neil