3 out of 4 stars
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An aptly titled book and a fantastic read, Brutal Valour: The Tragedy of Isandlwana by James Mace is a historical fiction book. It narrates the contrived chaos of war from the personal standpoint of the characters while remaining remarkably factual with regard to the major events.
Brutal Valour contextualises the battle of Isandlwana – where the numerically superior Zulus ultimately overwhelmed the poorly led and badly deployed British – by comparing it to 5 different battles where the British suffered substantial defeats. The battle of Isandlwana and all the factors around it are presented through the lives of normal individuals facing situations dictated by forces greater than them and leading them into a glorious and particularly bloody inevitability.
The build up to the battle is detailed, describing Bartle-Frere, the British High Commissioner Bartle-Frere’s out-of-control machinations to dismantle the Zulu nation, once his ally. It is evident that war is unavoidable when the Zulu King, Cetshwayo is given an unreasonable ultimatum that he was sure to reject. The hurtling effect of events is captured particularly through the experiences of lower cadres on both sides such as new recruits into the British Army, Privates Arthur Wilkinson and Richard Lowe, thirsting for action. On the other side, the Zulu including Prince Mehlokazulu kaSihayo, who unwittingly set the stage for the ultimatum, and the warrior, Kwanele kaMandlenkosi, among others, who symbolise how population can get caught up in events they may not understand themselves. In the space of the ten days that would follow, both sides would experience the brutality of a warfare in its most extreme fashion.
The story closes with a poignant observation by Cetshwayo upon realising just how great a loss of life his army faced; he says, “A spear has been thrust into the belly of our nation…there are not enough tears to mourn the dead.” One simply cannot tell that he won the battle.
It is difficult to encapsulate the different reactions that brutal Valour provokes in the reader, except to characterise it as a presentation of the good and bad that makes it impossible to apportion blame for the tragic events described. The book is many different things at once, fascinating, instructive, humourous and replete with colourful language. This reader finds that it is more enjoyable to read books, such as this one, with a rich mix of inter-character dialogue and author narrative. The editing, however, is inconsistent as the text is bunched, with paragraphs mostly beginning unseparated by spacing and indented, but sometimes begin distinguished by a single line space. Another point of inconsistency is the spattering of American English where we know that it did not exist in the era in which the story is set.
A particularly interesting insight by the author regarded the nature of military discipline, British and Zulu alike, demonstrating that it influences personal life, including if and when a soldier is allowed to get married! Although this the characteristics of the reasons for this took different forms on either side, the essence was that it should only be at the convenience of army operations.
Although it is implied that Zulu intelligence directly regarding the Isindlwana battle was superior, the author should have discussed this explicitly by tying it to the fact that British reconnaissance was not really up to scratch, which, along with the hubris and incompetence of senior officers, cost them dearly. Also, the Natal Native Contingent should have been categorised better as infantry, since it was a force active in the war, but had gone through different iterations in make-up over the years preceding and after the Isandlwana battle.
In reading Brutal Valour, one is able to appreciate in the way it is written, how it is that in life people can begin a process that takes on a life of its own. The most significant exposition of this fact is in the description of why the war had to be executed quickly. Simply put, it would be inconvenient and have real consequences for both parties; it would delay the Zulus’ harvest, risking starvation, while protracted conflict could cost Lord Chelmsford his job, as General Officer Commanding of all British military forces in Natal, for acting without the authorisation of his home office. This need for speed typically leads to neglect of procedures that are fundamental to achieving objectives. In this case, neither Cetshwayo nor Chelmsford had intelligence informing them that they wanted the same result, yet diametrically opposed in the form that it should take. How many times in life to we ask ourselves “what if”? If Cetshwayo knew playing a waiting game could have cost Chelmsford his commission, the brutal exchanges that followed would have been avoided. In the end, God leaves a symbolic stamp of disapproval of the pitiful carnage in the afternoon of the battle at Isandlwana.
Brutal Valour is and appropriate title for the book for it depicts contrasting antagonists locked in a battle for dominance or survival, depending on which side they were on. It demonstrates that no one nation can claim to be superior to another given a peculiar set of circumstances. The descriptions of the physical environments and settings, whether they be hills, valleys, or settlements, are informative and give dimension to the book. It is a must-read for anyone interested in history. It feels like fiction, but comes across as real and personalises historical events through the experience of people we can relate with. I give it 3 out of 4 stars, for it is well researched (even providing a glossary), thought out and presented creatively. Were it not for some editing inconsistencies it would be near perfect.
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Brutal Valour: The Tragedy of Isandlwana
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