Scan barcode
crowley22's review
4.0
The Second Anglo-Boer War was a bit of an anomaly to me. I was aware of some general ideas about the war. The fact that there were high British Casualties and they had used Concentration Camps. I was aware that Jan Smuts was one of the leaders of the boers, who later supported the Allies in WW2. Beyond that, my knowledge was barebones at best, picking up a few facts here and there.
To me, this book was near perfect. It did not deal with every single battle of the war, but it covered the main battles in detail. As a near novice to the Subject, I found the book very enlightening and enjoyed all the “cameos” of famous or soon to be famous British Officers and politicians. Also enjoyable was a reference to Roger Casement as an “eccentric diplomat”.
Certain points were confusing, but I think in order for the book to be complete it needed an extra hundred pages or so.
There is also a missing voice of the natives in the book. I would have liked a chapter from the prospective of the Zulus or the Xhosa people. The book mainly focuses on the officers, because it is from them that most of the knowledge of the history of the war can be gleaned, however the author also interviewed several soldiers first hand.
Overall, good introduction to the war. Compared with other history books, it is comparatively easy to read. Worth a read if you wish to learn about South Africa, Britain’s Little Wars and apartheid.
To me, this book was near perfect. It did not deal with every single battle of the war, but it covered the main battles in detail. As a near novice to the Subject, I found the book very enlightening and enjoyed all the “cameos” of famous or soon to be famous British Officers and politicians. Also enjoyable was a reference to Roger Casement as an “eccentric diplomat”.
Certain points were confusing, but I think in order for the book to be complete it needed an extra hundred pages or so.
There is also a missing voice of the natives in the book. I would have liked a chapter from the prospective of the Zulus or the Xhosa people. The book mainly focuses on the officers, because it is from them that most of the knowledge of the history of the war can be gleaned, however the author also interviewed several soldiers first hand.
Overall, good introduction to the war. Compared with other history books, it is comparatively easy to read. Worth a read if you wish to learn about South Africa, Britain’s Little Wars and apartheid.
More...