Victorian Colonial Warfare

The 'small war' was a particularly Victorian concern. Its course was followed with avid interest by the general public. Every setback and victory, every act of courage and cowardice was recorded and illustrated in the popular press.

Nowhere was this more true than in Africa, where small wars came in three distinct types: campaigns of conquest or annexation, such as the 1879 campaign against Cetshwayo's Zulu Impis; campaigns for the suppression of an insurrection, such as those in East and West Africa, where many campaigns began as simple expeditions and ended by bringing vast territories under British rule; and campaigns to avenge an insult, designed to impose control without annexing territory, the Abyssinian Expedition of 1868 being a typical example.

Only the Boer Wars of 1881 and 1897-1902 did not fit into one of these three patterns. Fought against an enemy armed with comparable weapons, the campaign of 1881 was the only war lost by British troops during the Victorian period.

Donald Featherstone, an acknowledged expert on colonial warfare, has written a vivid and accurate account of the small wars in Africa, drawing heavily on the letters and first-hand reports of those who were there. His Victoria's Enemies was described by the Journal of the Royal Artillery as 'wide ranging ... well researched and excellent value ...'

This book is published as part of the work of The History of Wargaming Project to document key works of Donald Featherstone.