Ian knight face foe

IAN KNIGHT "WITH HIS FACE TO THE FOE -  The Life and Death of Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial, Zululand, 1879 "  Published: Jonathan Ball, Johannesburg and Cape Town, 2001 Witten by the acknowledged authority on the Anglo-Zulu War, this is the tragic and dramatic story of the death of the last heir to the Imperial throne of France, killed while fighting with the British in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, and of the scandal and recrimination which followed his death. The Carey court-martial and its effect on the public and the military establishment is discussed in detail and placed in the context of the Victorian era. Hardcover, complete dustjacket in good condition Postage quoted for South Africa only. Overseas deliveries quoted separately

Buy IAN KNIGHT WITH HIS FACE TO THE FOE HARDCOVER, FIRST EDITION for R300.00

Subtitle: The LIfe and Death of Louis Napoleon, The Prince Imperial Zululand Author: Ian Knight Publisher: Jonathan Ball () Edition: First Edition ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Condition: Very Good - Dust jacket has slight edgewear Pages: 290 Dimensions: cm +++ by Ian Knight +++ With His Face to the Foe is an account of Louis Napoleon, the exiled heir to the throne in France and the last of the Bonapartes, who was killed in an obscure skirmish in a remote part of Zululand in Southern Africa. In his book, Knight inquires as to what curious circumstances would have brought the Prince Imperial to southern Africa, wearing, of all things, the uniform of a British officer.   A passion for books and a passion for collecting fine editions was the recipe that created the successful group of bookshops in Johannesburg called Bookdealers. The group started thirty years ago with one store in the quirky suburb of Yeoville and has grown through the years to a total of five shops, plus our online sales. Bookdealers is well-known for its collectable and used books. We also have a large variety of remaindered books sourced from around the world.  If you collect from one of our five branches there is no delivery charge. We also offer postal delivery (when available) and courier delivery, subject to a quote.

2003. Hard cover with dust cover. 294 pages. Very good condition. Tightly bound, neat and clean. Under 1kg. Drawing on the archives of the National Army Museum, this book recreates the harsh reality of the Anglo-Zulu War - one of the most dramatic campaigns in British History. The Zulus were a fiercely independent and extremely brave warrior race. When the might of the British army was defeated by this indigenous foe at Isandlwana in 1879, it sent shock waves throughout the Empire - 1300 British troops and their African allies were killed. In the aftermath, Zulu reserves mounted a raid on a British border post at Rorke's Drift, which was held by just 145 men. After ten hours of ferocious fighting the Zulus were driven away. Eventually superior weaponry carried the day for the British, (though not before the exiled French prince, Louis Napoleon, was killed in skirmish). Invading Zululand, the British took the capital of Ulundi and 5000 British defeated 20,000 Zulus. King Cetewayo was captured and the war was over. Ian Knight draws on a host of previously unpublished letters and diaries, from ordinary soldiers to the British commander-in-chief, to bring this war to life - one which saw great acts of bravery an courage on both sides.

  WITH HIS FACE TO THE FOE – The Life and Death of Louis Napoleon, The Prince Imperial Zululand 1879 by Ian Knight Hard cover with d/wrapper – 242x165 mm – Spellmount 2001 1 st Edition 290 pages – index included – b/w photos – 5 maps Near Mint cond. D/W: Near Mint cond in plastic cover – no tears. One Owner. NO INTERIOR PHOTOS TAKEN TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE BINDING (OTHER THAN CONTENTS PAGE) “On the afternoon of 1 June 1879, in a muddy gully in the heart of Zululand, the ambitions of France’s Bonaparte dynasty came to a tragic and violent end.”

By Ian Knight. 2001. Hard cover with dust cover; 290 pages. Very good condition; as new. Under 1kg. On the afternoon of 1 June 1879, in a muddy gully in the heart of Zululand, the ambitions of France's Bonaparte dynasty came to a tragic and violent end. A patrol of British troops, in the vanguard of an invading column, was ambushed by the Zulu, and fled, leaving three men dead on the field. Among them was Prince Louis Napoleon, the exiled heir to the Imperial throne in France, the last of the Bonapartes. What curious combination of circumstances had brought the Prince Imperial to southern Africa, wearing the uniform of - of all things - a British office? His was a romantic and melancholy story. Chased out of France after the debacle of the Franco-Prussian War, the Emperor Napoleon III had sought refuge with his family in England, where they were befriended by Queen Victoria. Napoleon's son, Louis, had grown to manhood in exile, succeeding on his father's death to the title of Napoleon IV, and awaiting a call to reclaim his throne, which might never have come. Raised in the shadow of the reputation of the great Napoleon, he hungered for military glory, and by special dispensation was allowed to train as a British officer. As a foreign Prince, however, and a Bonaparte, there was never any hope that he might serve in the British army, but when the Anglo-Zulu War broke out in 1879 he was allowed to go to Africa as an observer, attached to General Lord Chelmsford's staff. The war seemed to offer him the perfect chance for military experience without European political repercussions, and with a minimum of danger. This was not to be.