Private Henry Hook VC - the true story behind the ”bad lad” of Zulu

2024-03-18

Henry Hook VC has been called the most famous private soldier in British military history. Does the name ring a bell? I’m sure it does - he was the bad lad in the film Zulu. We’ve spoken about him before on the show but today we are going deep, learning more about his life and about the actions that lead to his Victoria Cross at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift. We have a brilliant interview today with well-known historian Neil Thornton. Neil is the author of numerous milita...

Henry Hook VC has been called the most famous private soldier in British military history.

Does the name ring a bell? I’m sure it does - he was the bad lad in the film Zulu.

We’ve spoken about him before on the show but today we are going deep, learning more about his life and about the actions that lead to his Victoria Cross at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift.

We have a brilliant interview today with well-known historian Neil Thornton.

Neil is the author of numerous military history books. His latest details the life of Hooky. . . Who was he really? Was he tea-total? Did his wife think he was dead and marry another man? And most importantly of all…what really happened inside the hospital during that horrific fight on the 22nd January 1879?

The book can purchased via this link - https://amzn.to/4a0VWqN

Comments (3)