'A Widow-Making War' presents the fascinating letters and diaries written by brevet major Warren Wynne during his service as a Royal Engineer in the Zulu War. They trace his journey to the theatre of war in Pearson's column, and his participation in the battle of Nyezane (Inyezane) - the often-unnoticed British victory fought out on the same day as Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift. They then show him at Eshowe, where he designed, built and energetically supervised one of the most elaborate fortifications seen in the whole campaign. That Pearson was able to hold out there for three long months was very largely due to Wynne's energy and expertise, and it was a particularly cruel stroke of fate that carried him away - a victim of typhoid fever - just as the war was ending.

In this completely new edition of Wynne's writings his achievement is extensively explained by Howard Whitehouse in a manner that is both pleasing and illuminating to military specialists and general readers alike.