The battle has become legendary: 85 British soldiers, in a small outpost, holding off six full-scale Zulu attacks with only 27 casualties. But a brand new look at this infamous clash reveals that several things about the myth just don't add up. While there was certainly incredible courage, there was also some astonishing cowardice, and increasing evidence reveals that the legend of Rorke's Drift was created to divert attention from earlier mistakes that led to the slaughter at Islandlwana.
The battle has become legendary: 85 British soldiers, in a small outpost, holding off six full-scale Zulu attacks with only 27 casualties. But a brand...