News                
Historic Overview   
Fact or Fiction   
Gift Shop   



IAN KNIGHT

Biography

Ian Knight is internationally regarded as a leading authority on the history of the nineteenth-century Zulu kingdom, and in particular the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.

Ian was born in Sussex, in the UK. A boyhood visit to the feature-film Zulu first around his interest in the Anglo-Zulu War, and this intensified into serious research when he discovered that a member of his family – Sergeant Thomas Cooper, 1/24th – had been killed at the battle of Isandlwana.

Ian had his first magazine articles published on Zulu history at the age of seventeen. He has a BA degree in Afro-Caribbean Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury, and has written, co-written or compiled nearly thirty books and monographs, most of them on aspects of Zulu history.

Ian Knight with members of the Zulu Royal House, photographed during the televising of the Isandlwana dig.

His first full-length book, Brave Men’s Blood (1990) was a British Military Book Club main choice, and was praised for its even treatment of the war, and its comprehensive illustrations. His subsequent books include The Anatomy of the Zulu Army, the first full-length study of the Zulu military system between 1818 and 1879, Nothing Remains But To Fight; The Defence of Rorke’s Drift, Zulu; The Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and Great Zulu Commanders. He has co-authored a number of books with other leading scholars in the field, including The War Correspondents; The Zulu War, with Professor John Laband of the University of Natal, and Fearful Hard Times; The Siege and Relief of Eshowe and The Zulu War; Then and Now with Ian Castle.

He was Volume Editor for the 1879 series of archive reprints in the Archives of Zululand project.

He was a founder committee member of the Victorian Military Society in 1975, and has run their Zulu War Study Group ever since. In 2000 he was awarded an Honorary Membership of the Society.

Ian is also Vice-President of the Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society.

In 1995 he was employed as a consultant by the Local History Museum, Durban, to advise on an exhibit on historic conflict in KwaZulu-Natal, and in 1996 he advised the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, on their Zulu War exhibition, The Red Earth.

In 1999 he contributed to the catalogue of Ahes and Blood, the catalogue for the National Army Museum’s exhibition to commemorate the role of the British soldier in South Africa.

 

In 1999, Ian was principal organiser, with Gillian Scott-Berning of Durban, of the re-enactment of the battle of Isandlwana, which took place on the battlefield on the 120th anniversary, and aroused world-wide media interest.

In 1992 Ian was made an Honorary Research Associate of the Natal Museum of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, in recognition of his work in the field of the Anglo-Zulu War. In 1996 he was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

In August 2000 Ian was the Historian attached to the first phase of the archaeological investigation of the Isandlwana battle, a project jointly organised by Amafa KwaZulu-Natali and the University of Glasgow, Scotland. The results of this expedition have already challenged a number of established myths about the battle.

Ian is continuing to research and write on aspects of Zulu history. He spends his time between the UK and South Africa, and is regularly invited to lecture on his subject.

 

In 2003 Ian wrote, co-produced and presented a three-part series ‘Zulu Wars’ for the UK History satellite channel. In 2004 his book The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War was joint winner of the Royal United Services’ Silver Medal for ‘best military history book’. Ian gives regular public lectures in the UK – and occasionally abroad - and in 2006 taught an Adult Education Weekend Course on Zulu history at Missenden Abbey, Buckinghamshire. He has also designed the itinerary for and accompanies as Guest Lecturer the Holts Battlefield Tours Anglo-Zulu War tour. He continues to research and write.

 

Home