Repositories of the most beautiful and precious books, from first editions to illuminated manuscripts to the handwritten pages that became literary classics
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On August 27, 1896, Britain declared war on its protectorate Zanzibar, where a pretender to the Sultanate had just siezed power.
At 9:02am, British ships in the habor began shelling the would-be Sultan's palace.
By 9:40, the shelling had stopped, the palace was on fire, and the pretender's flag had been cut down.
At 38 minutes, the Anglo-Zanzibar War remains the shortest war on record.
Some 500 Zanzibaris were killed.
One British Petty Officer was wounded.
