Featured battle : Ladysmith, The Seige of

Part of The 2nd Boer War (or Three Years War)

Date : 02 November 1899 - 28 February 1900

General Joubert at the head of a Transvaal army pushed General White back through Natal into the town of Ladysmith where they were bottled up for 3 months forcing the British to split their strength, sending a relief force under General Buller to attempt a crossing of the Tugela river at Colenso (see entry). This siege managed to embarrass the British and caused much suffering amongst their ranks, but negated the Boer's most potent weapons, mobility and stealth, by keeping them tied down.

The Power and the Glory

Steve Dunn
This is a novel view of the Royal Navy over most of its existence. Naval Reviews were the pulling together of the fleet to show the nation’s power and might ostensibly [even ostentatiously] to the monarch but to friends and potential enemies alike. The author has brought together a fascinating array of information not only about the ships but material ranging from the strategic background to the lunch menus. The result is a brilliant overview of our changing navy with a bonus of insight into the society of the time of change.
Photographs abound throughout the book and the text is lucid and engaging .
However for those, like me, who love the Royal Navy the full story is a tragedy. The book tells the nation’s story of increasing power until its zenith and then the steady decline to today’s level. This is also the navy’s story.
We highly commend this novel approach to naval history to all readers.

Seaforth Publishing, 2021