English Summary/英文概要： _’John Laband has long been the accepted authority on Anglo-Zulu War studies and his new work, The Fall of Rorke’s Drift, is proof of his expertise’_ - Dr Adrian Greaves It is January 1879 and the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom are at war. Lord Carnarvon, Secretary of State for the Colonies, who had successfully brought about federation in Canada in 1867, had believed a similar scheme would work in South Africa. But such plans are rejected by Boer leaders. Lord Chelmsford leads a British military expeditionary force to enter the Zulu Kingdom uninvited. A bloody battle ensues on 22 January 1879 at Isandlwana. The Zulus are the unexpected victors. After that brutal defeat, the British Army are at Rorke’s Drift on the Buffalo River in Natal Province, South Africa. A few hundred British and colonial troops led by Lieutenants John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead face the might of the Zulu army of thousands led by Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande (CORR). Against the odds the British are victorious and this defeat marks the end of the Zulu nation’s dominance of the region. The Defence of Rorke’s Drift would go down in history as an iconic British Empire Battle and inspired Victorian Britain. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to military personnel. But what if the Zulus had defeated the British at Rorke’s Drift and invaded Natal? In the first ever alternate history of the Anglo-Zulu War, historian John Laband asks that question. With his vast knowledge of the Anglo-Zulu War he turns history on its head and offers a tantalising glimpse of a very different outcome weaving a compelling and never-before told story of what could have been.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 1879年1月，大英帝国和祖鲁王国处于交战之中。在经历了伊散德尔瓦纳战役出乎意料之外的惨败之后，英国军队在南非纳塔尔殖民地布法罗河的罗克渡口驻守。仅由中尉约翰查德和冈维尔布罗姆黑德率领几百名士兵，抗击祖鲁国王的弟弟Dabulamanzi kaMapande指挥的4千多赤身裸体的战士。尽管困难重重，英国人还是取得了胜利，这标志着祖鲁民族对该地区统治地位的结束。罗克渡口防御战作为维多利亚时期，大英帝国一场标志性的胜利，被载入史册。但如果祖鲁人在罗克渡口得手，并成功入侵纳塔尔省又会怎样? 在盎格鲁人与祖鲁人的战争第一次交替历史中，历史学家约翰拉班德(John Laband)提出了这个问题。 凭借他对这场冲突的渊博知识，重翻历史，提供了一个诱人的非常不同的另一个可能的结果，编织了一个令人信服的，从未被讲述过的故事。(Sandy)

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