'KWAZULU; Queen Mkabi's Story' by Cecil Cowley

'KWAZULU; Queen Mkabi's Story' by Cecil Cowley

£15.00 Sale

An interesting approach to Zulu history, this tells the story of Queen Mkabi in fictionalised form. Queen Mkabi was the first wife of King Senzangakhona; she married him in the early days of the kingdom, before he married Queen Nandi, and through her the author offers an insider's story of the birth of King Shaka, and the  rise of the Zulu kingdom. Although much of the story concerns the early kings Queen Mkabi lived until 4 July 1879; she supposedly committed suicide on the eve of the destruction of the Zulu kingdom which had framed her life. The author, Cecil Cowley, was born in Natal not long after the Anglo-Zulu War and was intimately involved with Zulu people and his book provides interesting insights into the changing customs and politics of the times. Unusual. Hardback; the book is in good clean condition but the dustwrapper is - as usual with this title - rather knocked.