H. P. Holt's The Mounted Police of Natal chronicles the formation, operations, and legacy of one of South Africa's most distinctive colonial institutions. From their early deployment during the Zulu War to their involvement in the Boer conflicts and frontier policing, the mounted police played a complex role in both enforcing imperial authority and managing relations with indigenous communities. Holt, drawing from official records and firsthand accounts, presents the corps not merely as a military force but as an evolving institution straddling law enforcement, espionage, and cultural diplomacy. The book offers fascinating detail about patrol life, native affairs, rebellion suppression, and the blurred lines between justice and colonial control. An indispensable work for understanding the machinery of British colonial administration in Southern Africa.