In The Eight Zulu Kings, well-respected and widely published historian John Laband examines the reigns of the eight Zulu kings from 1816 to the present. Starting with King Shaka, the renowned founder of the Zulu kingdom, he charts the lives of the kings Dingane, Mpande, Cetshwayo, Dinuzulu, Solomon and Cyprian, to todays King Goodwill Zwelithini whose role is little more than ceremonial. In the course of this investigation Laband places the Zulu monarchy in the context of African kingship and tracks and analyses the trajectory of the Zulu kings from independent and powerful pre-colonial African rulers to largely powerless traditionalist figures in post-apartheid South Africa.

“[Laband’s] extensive knowledge is on display throughout The Assassination of King Shaka. One of the most important features of the book is his use of Zulu words and terminology related to the structuring of early Zulu communities, which helps to give it a localised disposition. Much to the reward of readers, he relies on praise poems and songs throughout the book to help illustrate the cultural topography informing the historical significance of the formation of the Zulu kingdom.” – David Reiersgord, Business Day

JOHN LABAND is the author of several books on the Zulu kingdom, including the seminal Rope of Sand: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Kingdom in the Nineteenth Century and The Assassination of King Shaka. He is associated with a number of eminent institutions, including the universities of Cambridge, Wilfrid Laurier in Canada, and KwaZulu-Natal and Stellenbosch. He lives in Greyton in the Western Cape.