King's African Rifles Soldier vs Schutztruppe Soldier East Africa 1917–18

Specially commissioned artwork and thrilling combat accounts transport the reader to the far-flung and inhospitable African theater of war, where the Schutztruppe faced off against the King's African Rifles.

Stalemate in Europe had prompted Germany to turn its attention to Africa in an attempt to divert Allied forces from the Western Front, using a small colonial force under the command of Oberst Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck to raid British and Portuguese territory. Despite being heavily outnumbered, his expert use of guerrilla tactics forced the British to bring Jan Smuts in to lead a massive offensive, culminating in a major battle at Nyangao-Mahiwa that saw both sides suffer heavy casualties.

Meticulously researched analysis highlights the tactical and technological innovation shown by both armies, as they were forced to fight in a treacherous climate where local diseases could prove just as deadly as the opposition.

Gregg Adams earned a doctorate in physics from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He has studied World War I's East African campaign, with a particular interest in the 1917–18 period, an aspect of the conflict poorly covered in most publications.

Johnny Shumate is a freelance illustrator living in Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career in 1987 after graduating from Austin Peay State University. His greatest influences are Angus McBride, Don Troiani, and Édouard Detaille.