What is it about the AZW that draws you to this period?

[The_Major_USA]

For me, my interest in the Anglo-Zulu war started with the showing of the movie Zulu at my high school.

After reading more on the period I found myself drawn to the drama of the period and the courage of the Zulus.

So what is it that draws you to the period and creates the desire to game it?

And now with my favorite miniatures company making plastic models for the period...

The Major

[Big Al]

Quite simple, I used to live there. Not far from Eshowe. There and what was Rhodesia. All that really gets your colonial juices flowing, especially when the Afrikaners seemed to resent you because you were British! Truly

[Stuart]

The rows of bright red jackets and bright white helmets of the film Zulu, ( and that's how my force is painted), fighting off hordes of Zulus, brilliant, but it's the whole colonial "lets go discover Africa" thing as well that gives so many opportunities for creating skirmishes to pitched battles on the table.

[Sirius]

Quite simple, I used to live there. Not far from Eshowe. There and what was Rhodesia. All that really gets your colonial juices flowing, especially when the Afrikaners seemed to resent you because you were British! Truly

Indeed. Kitchener has a lot to answer for, no...? Even if you are an English-speaking South African, certain Afrikaners still resent you. The term is "Soutie" or "Soutpiel", literally translated into "saltydick" - the idea being that you have one foot in South Africa, one foot in England, and you have to stretch your legs so far to do this, your wiggly bits hang into the Atlantic. And if you are an actual Brit... well then, its open season. When I was growing up in the 1980's, the rugby match between the English-medium school and the Afrikaans-medium school was known as "the Boer War".

Back to the OP... also quite simple for me, too. Grew up in KZN. Walked the battlefields as part of our history education, was part of a school military archeology group that mapped and researched lesser-known fortifications, gravesites and such. Our school crest was a crossed assegaai and rifle, the school motto, a call to arms. The history of the war seemed raw and real to me, even after more than a century.

Have never seen the movie Zulu.

[grant]

One word: Sir Michael Caine.

That is all.

[Big Al]

Quite simple, I used to live there. Not far from Eshowe. There and what was Rhodesia. All that really gets your colonial juices flowing, especially when the Afrikaners seemed to resent you because you were British! Truly

Indeed. Kitchener has a lot to answer for, no...? Even if you are an English-speaking South African, certain Afrikaners still resent you. The term is "Soutie" or "Soutpiel", literally translated into "saltydick" - the idea being that you have one foot in South Africa, one foot in England, and you have to stretch your legs so far to do this, your wiggly bits hang into the Atlantic. And if you are an actual Brit... well then, its open season. When I was growing up in the 1980's, the rugby match between the English-medium school and the Afrikaans-medium school was known as "the Boer War".

Back to the OP... also quite simple for me, too. Grew up in KZN. Walked the battlefields as part of our history education, was part of a school military archeology group that mapped and researched lesser-known fortifications, gravesites and such. Our school crest was a crossed assegaai and rifle, the school motto, a call to arms. The history of the war seemed raw and real to me, even after more than a century.

Have never seen the movie Zulu.

Which school, Sirius? I was at Empangeni. We put a rugby team together that was made up of English speaking footballers. This included Italians as well. We beat every team in the school and all those in the school league, but we weren't allowed to play the first team. It was the best in Natal and had a cup final to play in. When we met them, they trounced us but had a lot of respect for us afterwards because we made a game of it for them. They also appreciated that we weren't rugby players and it was the only time we'd played together.

Looking back, it was a great time even if the Bush War was going on during my time in Rhodesia. I lost some friends in that conflict and think of them regularly!

[Cubster]

I think as a kid I saw 'Zulu Dawn' before I saw 'Zulu' and the tragedy of that had a deep impression on me. This was reinforced by Wilbur Smith's 'When the Lion Feeds' and his Courtney series and from then I was kind of hooked.

[Sirius]

Which school, Sirius? I was at Empangeni. We put a rugby team together that was made up of English speaking footballers. This included Italians as well. We beat every team in the school and all those in the school league, but we weren't allowed to play the first team. It was the best in Natal and had a cup final to play in. When we met them, they trounced us but had a lot of respect for us afterwards because we made a game of it for them. They also appreciated that we weren't rugby players and it was the only time we'd played together.

Looking back, it was a great time even if the Bush War was going on during my time in Rhodesia. I lost some friends in that conflict and think of them regularly!

Maritzburg College...

Agreed. The 1980s were an interesting time in Southern Africa. Democracy in Southern Africa was hard won, and my generation saw more than enough of those conflicts, from both sides.

[Big Al]

Ah, yes. I was there during the late 60's and throughout the 70's.

[mudcow304]

The absolute technological divide between the two armies interested me along with watching Zulu and/or Zulu Dawn almost every Christmas. I never considered modelling the period until the Horns of the Buffalo set came out. I now wonder if I will ever finish it!

Additionally, a friend of mine is currently enjoying an exchange tour in SA and keeps pestering me to visit which only makes me more interested!

All that said though, I feel tha the British Forces are missing an opportunity in training their stores/supply personnel as surely the Quartermaster in Zulu Dawn should be their dream pin up! Great proof that the General is not the only man who can lose a battle on his own!