Book excerpt: Zulu military organisation was extremely sophisticated. Warriors were organised into regiments with some form of basic uniform and shields were state-manufactured and owned. Yet, in spite of this sophistication, much of the Zulu's military outlook was extremely primitive: firearms were ill understood, and between 1816 and 1906 the Zulus maintained their primary reliance on hand-to-hand fighting. In this book Ian Knight investigates Zulu weaponry in detail, and also their society, beliefs and rituals, particularly with regard to ceremonies conducted before and after battles. Tactics, costume and customs are carefully examined, as are various battles, such as the war between the Zulus and Boers (1838) and the Anglo-Zulu War (1879), which brought about the end of the Zulu kingdom, making this a thorough account of the Zulu warrior.