Hill of Squandered Valour

Book excerpt: “Good focused context” pinpoints the historical significance of the single bloodiest episode in the Second Boer War—from a Zulu warfare expert (FGS Forum). Spion Kop, just northeast of Ladysmith, South Africa, was the largest hill in the region, being over 1,400 feet high, and it lay almost exactly at the center of the Boer line. If the British could capture this position and bring artillery to the hill, they would then command the flanks of the surrounding Boer positions. On the night of January 23, 1900, a large British force under Maj. Gen. Edward Woodgate was dispatched to secure the height, with Lt. Col. Alexander Thorneycroft selected to lead the initial assault. However, the Boers refused to give up the position, and a bitter two days of fighting ensued . . . Ron Lock, esteemed author of many Zulu warfare histories, brings to life this bitter and previously overlooked campaign in vivid and complete detail, with supporting sources including then-journalist Winston Churchill’s battle report, as well as many previously unpublished illustrations and six newly commissioned maps. His account will be valuable to both historians and strategists wanting to better understand this difficult and devastating conflict. “An excellent read, well researched and incisive in his handling of the various protagonists involved. He succeeds in offering a fresh perspective.” —Al Venter, author of Barrel of a Gun