Dr Adrian Greaves’ is widely acknowledged as a leading expert on the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and his previous account of Rorke’s Drift has become a standard work on that battle. However, by his own admission, it is hopelessly out of date as are other existing accounts. Rorke’s Drift Revisited is not merely a revised edition of that earlier work but a completely new account with much new research that challenges many misconceptions and myths. Explaining how previous accounts have been distorted by false reporting, false memory syndrome, ignorance of the site and archaeological evidence, the author presents fascinating fresh evidence and analysis. Among the more sensational revelations is that Lieutenant John Chard did not write the famous Chard Report, which has been the main primary source for the battle. He also shows that neither Lieutenant Ardendorff nor the missionary Reverend Otto Witt was there. Nor were the famous mealie-bag-and-biscuit-box barricades hastily erected, as per the film; they were carefully planned and built over several preceding days. Drawing on previously neglected eyewitness accounts as well as the latest archaeological evidence, there is a wealth of other new information and fresh perspectives. The shift in perceptions of the battle and its hold on the national psyche is also discussed. Uniquely, over a quarter of a century of physically revisiting Rorke’s Drift and associated sites as a tour leader allows him to give an accurate appraisal of the battlefield today.

Dr Adrian Greaves is a former army officer in the Welch Regiment (previously the 24th Foot of Rorke’s Drift fame), a former high-ranking officer in Kent Police and a qualified clinical psychologist. He is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts on the Anglo-Zulu War. As well as writing many previous books on the subject he has led more than fifty VIP tours to the battlefields and himself explored them thoroughly. He has also written and edited all fifty-five journals for the Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society and given hundreds of lectures across the UK and abroad.