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The story of John Dunn spans generations, cultures and continents — and it takes more than one voice to tell it.
The story of John Dunn spans generations, cultures and continents — and it takes more than one voice to tell it.
Chief with Ears the Sunlight Shines Through began as a solo project by Susan Nind-Barrett — a deep dive into the life of a man who straddled two worlds. After publication, Susan connected with Zulu historian Gary Richardson through their shared interest in the Anglo-Zulu War. What followed was a rich exchange of knowledge and perspective — and the beginning of a writing partnership.
Together, Susan and Gary have expanded the original book into a full-length hard-cover edition, enriched with historical photographs, deeper analysis and new insights. Their collaboration has resulted in a second book, The King, The Chief and The Crown — a broader and more nuanced telling of John Dunn’s extraordinary life.
Susan Nind-Barrett
Susan Nind-Barrett
Susan with Lula, her granddaughter’s much-adored sidekick.
Susan Nind-Barrett is a writer and researcher with a lifelong interest in southern African history. Her work blends narrative storytelling with deep historical detail, often focusing on overlooked lives at the edges of empire. She is also an artist, and her portrait of John Dunn was painted using archival references and period photographs.
Sue first discovered John Dunn while tracing family connections along the colonial frontier — and once she stepped into his story, she never looked away.
Chief with Ears the Sunlight Shines Through is her first John Dunn biography. The Crown, the Chief and the King expands on that work in greater depth.
Gary Richardson
Gary Richardson
Gary at a spear-sharpening site on the Natal side of the Buffalo (Mzinyathi) River — a location he believes to be many years old, as shown by the deep erosion of several sharpening grooves.
Gary Richardson is an Australian military historian and battlefield enthusiast with a passion for southern Africa’s 19th-century conflicts. Since 2014, he has visited South Africa over a dozen times, walking every major Zulu War battlefield and visiting the grave of John Dunn.
His knowledge and field research have made him a valued contributor to the upcoming The Crown, the Chief and the King.
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