by Colonel George Hamilton-Browne. Annotated by John Leband.
Hardback (6.4×9.4 inches). 266 pages. 2026 reprint and analysis of 1912 book.
George MacDonald Fraser wrote the marvelous Flashman series of novels about a reluctant British officer serving queen and country around the globe during the Victorian era. The novels were brilliant, although the 1972 movie that used parts of the first two books never quite captured the cowardly inner voice of ol’ Flashy as he bluffed his way to a heroic image.
Hamilton-Browne’s memoir of his service in the British Army during the Zulu wars is a lot of bluster and a smidgen of reality. He wrote three books about his military service across the globe, but thanks to sharp analysis by Prof. Leband, much of those memoirs were borrowed from other sources or just fabricated.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fascinating read about the British military in South Africa, but Leband’s scrutinizing of records shows that Hamilton-Browne couldn’t have been in places he claimed he was, and was often far from actual battles like Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. Yes, he was sometimes in the area, but often back in Cape Town, not at the front. At best, he could claim skirmishing, but that didn’t stop the book from becoming popular in its release in 1880 or from him wearing undeserved campaign medals.
The book contains three black and white photos and 12 black and white illustrations.
Leband’s analysis separates Hamilton-Browne’s reality from legend. The memoir portion has some value, at least as an indication of British perceptions of the period, but the analysis to set the record straight is golden.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
