Fallen Kings

In June 1879 the reorganised British invasion force advances towards Ulundi, capital of the Zulu Kingdom. Blackwood’s regiment crosses rivers, builds fortified camps and endures a campaign in which weather, distance and supply are constant enemies. Under Lord Chelmsford, the army intends to force the decisive engagement that will end the war before political pressure removes him from command.

The climax recreates the Battle of Ulundi, where a large British infantry square, supported by artillery and cavalry, confronts Cetshwayo’s remaining field army. Fallen Kings treats the battle as the destruction of an independent kingdom as well as a British military victory, allowing Blackwood’s professional pride to coexist with growing awareness of the political and human consequences of conquest.