Layout Table~~~~11349~11349~~

Military History~Southern Africa - Anglo-Boer War, South African War, Zulu War~~~11349~11350~afrikaner boer war, Battles Battlefields Anglo-Boer War~

Absent Minded Beggars - William Bennett~The British Army suffered one of its greatest crises when in December 1899 the Boer irregulars inflicted three reverses in South Africa in 'Black Week'. A nation grown accustomed to success was stunned. Part of the answer was a very British blend of patriotism and pragmatism. For the first time civilian volunteers and part-time soldiers were allowed to fight overseas to the horror of traditionalist professional soldiers. Yet, by the end of the Boer War, almost 90,000 men had volunteered to serve the Colours. Much of sporting high society joined the newly formed Imperial Yeomanry. The Volunteers sent infantrymen to serve alongside the regulars and the City of London financed the raising of the City Imperial Volunteers. Men also came forward from the colonies. This book tells the story of these volunteer units.
ISBN: 085052685X. Hardback~~Absent Minded Beggars|ISBN 085052685X|~11349~11739~~

Aspects of the Boer War - Malcolm Archibald~The inspiration for the Selkirk trilogy, the original diary of Private Robert Brown from Methil, Fife, is printed verbatim. The bare account is augmented by chapters that detail aspects of the war, the culture of the Boer, the amount of foreign and Imperial commitment and thumbnail sketches of British and Boer leaders. Intended as a historical background to the war, the readable style should appeal to the general reader as well as the serious military historian.
ISBN 9780954412142. 135x200mm, paperback, 153 pages~~Aspects of the Boer War|ISBN 9780954412142|~11349~11513~~

Battles and Battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 - Anthony Baker~This is a study of the significant battles fought in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. It describes the battles in detail and can be used as a guide far anyone visiting the battlefields. The text and maps clearly explain to the reader the problems facing the commanders and how the battles were fought, the location and movements of units etc. The reputation of some of the British generals has been sullied from their failures in the field, for example Buller. Here will be found a detailed account of what he faced, and with the problems he had to overcome together with the forces that were at his disposal, the outcome could not have been unexpected. The British Army that fought the war was the largest force until World War I that Britain fielded and it was supported by numerous units of volunteers raised throughout the Empire. When it went to war in Southern Africa it faced problems initially of being considerably out numbered, and later when re-inforcements arrived, of fighting a war in a vast theatre in very difficult conditions. Its lines of communications were limited to a few vulnerable railway lines. The Army had to create organisations such as divisions and control the was without the benefit of a trained corps of staff officers. In addition to the maps, there are orders of battle of the British Army, as well as indices listing personalities, places and units. The author has also written a comment on the infamous "Concentration Camps".
2l0 x 295mm v+ 240 pages 60 colour maps
ISBN 0-85420-149-1 Hardback Edition, ISBN 0-85420-154-8 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~This is a study of the significant battles fought in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. It describes the battles in detail and can be used as a guide far anyone visiting the battlefields. The text and maps clearly explain to the reader the problems facing the commanders and haw the battles were fought, the location and movements of units etc. The reputation of some of the British generals has been sullied from their failures in the field, for example Buller. Here will be found a detailed account of what he faced, and with the problems he had to overcome together with the forces that were at his disposal, the outcome could not have been unexpected. The British Army that fought the war was the largest farce until World War I that Britain fielded and it was supported by numerous units of volunteers raised throughout the Empire. When it went to war in Southern Africa it faced problems initially of being considerably out numbered, and later when reenforcements arrived, of fighting a war in a vast theatre in very difficult conditions. Its lines of communications were limited to a few vulnerable railway lines. The Army had to create organisations such as divisions and control the was without the benefit of a trained corps of staff officers. In addition to the maps, there are orders of battle of the British Army, as well as indices listing personalities, places and units. The author has also written a comment on the infamous "Concentration Camps".
2l0 x 295mm v+ 240 pages 60 colour maps
ISBN 0-85420-149-1 Hardback Edition, ISBN 0-85420-154-8 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~Battles and Battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 (Softback)|ISBN 0854201548|Battles and Battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 (Hardback)|ISBN 0854201491|~11349~11351~~

Brave Men's Blood - Ian Knight~The Zulu kingdom, created by Shaka kaSenzangakhona, lasted just over six decades before meeting the imperial might of the British Empire. Within six months the kingdom lay in pieces. A full military campaign, known as the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 was required to ensure its demise.The British High Commissioner in South Africa, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, believed that the robust and economically self-reliant Zulu kingdom was a threat to this policy. In December 1878 he picked a quarrel with the Zulu king, Cetshwayo kaMpande, in the belief that the Zulu army - armed primarily with shields and spears - would soon collapse in the face of British Imperial might. The war began in January 1879. Three columns of British troops under the command of Lt. Gen. Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand. Almost immidiately, the war went badly wrong for the British. On 22 January, the Centre Column, under Lord Chelmsford's personal command, was defeated at Isandlwana mountain. In one of the worst disasters of the Colonial era, over 1300 British troops and their African allies were killed. In the aftermath of Isandlwana, the Zulu reserves mounted a raid on the British border post at Rorke's Drift, which was held by just 145 men. After ten hours of ferocious fighting, the Zulu were driven off. Eleven of the defenders of Rorke's Drift were awarded the Victoria Cross.These are the best-known episodes of the war, and Rorke's Drift inspired the classic film Zulu, which established Michael Caine as a star. However, the author delves deeply into the causes of the war, the conditions during it and the aftermath. Completely re-set, this is one of the most highly-regarded books on the period.
ISBN: 184415212X. Paperback~~Brave Men%27s Blood|ISBN 184415212X|~11349~11737~~

Buller: A Scapegoat? - Geoffrey Powell~A succession of British disasters marked the early months of the Boer War of 1899-1902.It was the start of modern warfare: the empty battlefield. A scapegoat was found for the defects revealed; Redvers Buller, the commander-in-chief until Lord Roberts superseded him.
ISBN: 085052279X. Hardback~~Buller%3A A Scapegoat?|ISBN 085052279X|~11349~11738~~

Burnham: King of Scouts - Peter van Wyk~Frederick Russell Burnham (1861-1947), an American from California, taught scouting to Robert Baden-Powell, inspiring B-P to eventually found the Boy Scouts. Burnham went to Africa in 1893 to scout for Cecil Rhodes on the Cape-to-Cairo Railway. He was a scout in the Matabele War when that engine of death - the Maxim gun - was introduced. Burnham gained fame when he survived the British equivalent of Custer's Last Stand. During a rebellion three years later, he shot the oracle believed to be the instigator. That act expanded his fame. During this conflict, Burnham took a British Army officer, Colonel Baden-Powell, into the African hills and taught him scouting. Baden-Powell's very life was changed, and forever after that he promoted scouting at every opportunity. Burnham found gold in the Klondike, but he was called back to Africa to serve as chief of scouts for Field Marshal Lord Roberts in the Boer War. In Johannesburg, he was reunited with Baden-Powell, who had become famous for his defense of Mafeking. Burnham and Baden-Powell began forty years of spirited correspondence in which Burnham provided the ideas and Baden-Powell - in his own words - "sucked" Burnham's brains. ......
Trafford Publishing Jul 2006. ISBN-13: 978-1412009010. Paperback: 582 pages~Trafford Publishing Jul 2006
ISBN-10: 1412009014
ISBN-13: 978-1412009010
Paperback: 582 pages

---

About the book
Frederick Russell Burnham (1861-1947), an American from California, taught scouting to Robert Baden-Powell, inspiring B-P to eventually found the Boy Scouts. Burnham went to Africa in 1893 to scout for Cecil Rhodes on the Cape-to-Cairo Railway. He was a scout in the Matabele War when that engine of death - the Maxim gun - was introduced. Burnham gained fame when he survived the British equivalent of Custer's Last Stand.

During a rebellion three years later, he shot the oracle believed to be the instigator. That act expanded his fame. During this conflict, Burnham took a British Army officer, Colonel Baden-Powell, into the African hills and taught him scouting. Baden-Powell's very life was changed, and forever after that he promoted scouting at every opportunity.

Burnham found gold in the Klondike, but he was called back to Africa to serve as chief of scouts for Field Marshal Lord Roberts in the Boer War. In Johannesburg, he was reunited with Baden-Powell, who had become famous for his defense of Mafeking. Burnham and Baden-Powell began forty years of spirited correspondence in which Burnham provided the ideas and Baden-Powell - in his own words - "sucked" Burnham's brains.

Evacuated to London for a war injury, Burnham was acclaimed as King of Scouts. Queen Victoria invited he and his wife to dine with her at her beloved Osborn House. Burnham went on to explore what is now Ghana and to introduce agriculture to Kenya. Later he joined John Hays Hammond to develop agriculture in the Yaqui River Delta of Sonora.

When the Wright Brothers' invention became a viable tool of war, Burnham abandoned horse scouting. He became an oil scout and his zeal led him to discover oil at Dominguez Mesa south of Los Angeles.

Long an associate of Teddy Roosevelt, Burnham took up the environmental cause with great zeal. The closing chapters describe his activities on behalf of the Save the Redwoods League, the California State Parks Commission, and a campaign to set aside two million acres for the protection of the Bighorn Sheep of Arizona.

This true story is told as a biographical novel.


About the Author
About the AuthorThe author is a fitting choice to write about Fred Burnham, the American who inspired the Boy Scouts. In 1965, he met Burnham's son, Roderick, who had accompanied his father to Africa in 1893. Rod spent a decade providing the author with recollections, books, diaries, journals and newspaper and magazine articles.

But the great prize, forty years of private correspondence between Burnham and Baden-Powell, was not unsealed from the archives at Yale University until AD 2000.

The author has been a foreign correspondent in the Far East and has written for Readers Digest and other magazines. While on assignment for U.S. News & World Report in Africa, he retraced Major Burnham's exciting adventures with Colonel Robert Baden-Powell.

Excerpts
"We go into the night as fighters go; we are hard as cats to kill, our hearts are reckless still, for we've danced with death a dozen times." -H.O. Egbert, Chuckawalla Prospector

"To my friendly enemy, the greatest scout in the world. Once craved the honour of killing you, but failing that I extend my heartiest admiration." -Fritz Duquesne, Africa Scout

"While he talks, there is not a thing that misses his quick-roving eye, whether it is on the horizon or at his feet." -Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout

"We who knew his loveable and gentle nature would hardly judge him as a man capable of almost unbelievable bravery." -Frederick W. Hodge, director, Southwest Museum

"He has trained himself to endure appalling fatigues, hunger, thirst and wounds, has learned to force every nerve in his body to absolute obedience." -Richard Harding Davis, Real Soldiers of Fortune

"If you know Burnham, you know he is one of the greatest soldiers of fortune the world has ever produced." -Earl A. Brininstool, California author

"Like Allan Quatermain, he is an extremely polished and thoughtful person. In real life, Burnham is more interesting than any of my heroes of romance." -Sir Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines


Chapter 21 Burnham Meets Rhodes
The men of Captain Heaney's relief column gave up their horses to the survivors. Everyone trekked south on the Old Hunters Trail, coming in four hours' time to a camp of many wagons and large fires. Cecil Rhodes and Doctor Jameson presided over a feast of roast mutton, baked potatoes, biscuits and vegetables. As the men ate, there was acrimonious conjecture on the fate of Major Allan Wilson and his thirty-three men.

Major Forbes insisted some had survived, suggesting they were on the Old Hunters Trail en route to Salisbury. Not a man in camp believed him. Many spoke ominously of Wilson's Last Stand.

At 2 o'clock, they inspanned and trekked until sunset brought them to Inyati, where another banquet awaited. Fresh clothing was issued and the men rested for two days while messengers galloped ahead with the news of the patrol's survival. By easy stages they rode to Bulawayo where Digby Willoughby presided over the taking of photos of the survivors. An official campaign ribbon was authorized.

In Bulawayo, Colonel Hamilton Goold-Adams, the senior Imperial officer, held a court of enquiry. It lasted five days, during which the survivors of the Shangani Patrol were questioned about the fate of Major Allan Wilson and the conduct of Major Patrick Forbes. The hearing was concluded on Christmas Day.

The findings were classified and forwarded to Sir Henry Loch, the British high commissioner in Cape Town. The Combined Column was disbanded - eighty-one days after signing on at Forts Victoria and Salisbury. Colonel Goold-Adams and his Imperial Column remained in Bulawayo to occupy the town.

Captain Bill Napier, the second in command to Major Wilson, inherited the duty of mustering out the officers and men of the Victoria Column. He gave each of the men certificates entitling each to six thousand acres of land, twenty mineral claims and a share of King Lobengula's cattle. Similar documents were forwarded to the survivors of deceased campaigners. The certificates were instantly accepted as mediums of exchange - as good as gold. There was a brisk trade in farm rights and minerals claims. Burnham exchanged his double share of farm stands for hundreds of mineral claims. That night Captain Lendy invited Fred Burnham to dine with him in his tent on roast beef and vegetables.

"I wanted to thank you personally for those ears you gave me back on the veld," Lendy said.

"If it wasn't for your Maxim guns," Burnham said, "neither of us would be here tonight."

"I told you they were the Devil's own paint brush."

"True, at the Battle of the Shanganii, I was impressed with the Maxims," Fred said. "But later at the Battle of the Bembesi, it was those Hotchkiss guns that saved us. For awhile, I became skeptical of the Maxims."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Those Hotchkiss cannons were too heavy to lug along on the Shangani Patrol," Fred said. "But we were able to strip down the Maxims and use them in tough fighting. It was the Maxims that saved our lives. I now join with you in believing the Maxim machine gun will change the essence of warfare."

"That's the message I intend to carry to London."

_________

ON WEDNESDAY, December 27, every able-bodied man from Salisbury and Fort Victoria rode out of Bulawayo. Most went to get their women, children and possessions and bring them back to Bulawayo to stake out farms and mineral claims in Matabele Land. Johann Colenbrander, who had been placed in charge of prisoners during the Shangani Retreat, became Chief Native Commissioner. His new position held more police power and judicial authority than any American Indian Agent. The CNC and his staff of Native Commissioners would serve as policeman, judge, jury and executioner for the blacks. Johann began disarming the Matabele warriors, who turned in their rifles and assegais - at least some of them. Colenbrander immediately won the sobriquet Collar and Brand 'em.

By separate routes, Fred Selous and Patrick Forbes left for London. Selous planned to write a book about Africa. Though he had spent two decades in the Dark Continent and earned renown as a white hunter, he had accumulated little more than his wagons, hunting rifles and a few tusks of ivory, which he had to sell to pay his passage back to England. Forbes was escorting his brother, Eustace, who was being sent to London to receive medical treatment for a war wound.

Toward evening that Wednesday, Commandant Piet Raaff collapsed with a sharp pain in his stomach. He was taken to the dispensary and placed under the care of Doctor Leander Starr Jameson, the administrator. Doctor Jim diagnosed Raaff's condition as inflammation of the bowels. Sometime during the night, Commandant Pieter Raaff, the Boer kaffir fighter with the big reputation and little girl feet, drew his last breath and died.

Three weeks later, Captain Charles Lendy arrived at Tati by the Shashi River and checked into Edwards Tati Hotel. That night, after scoffing down three pints of grog and grand-grousing a memorable repast, Maxim Lendy collapsed. He was carried to his hotel room where during the night he died. The medical examiner's diagnosis was bowel inflammation, which touched off rumors that both Raaff and Lendy had died at the hand of Doctor Jameson.

Major Patrick Forbes arrived in London in a state of complete disgrace. While crossing the Umzingwane River where it joined with the Limpopo, Pat Forbes allowed his wounded brother, Eustace, to drown in the rapids. His loss of reputation and prestige was total. The deaths of Allan Wilson, Pieter Raaff and Charley Lendy and the contempt accorded Patrick Forbes meant that the horrifying capabilities of the Maxim machine gun would remain unrecognized until the Battle of Omdurman in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. No foreign observer was in Matabele Land to witness the Devil's Paintbrush in action.

CAPE TOWN-DECEMBER 1893
HIGH COMMISSIONER Sir Henry Loch classified as Secret all documents relating to his peace offering to King Lobengula, including the part about Lo Ben's envoys being murdered at Tati. Then, caught up in the spirit of the victory, Sir Henry announced that six hundred white men had defeated ten thousand hostile savages at the Battle of the Shangani. He let out all stops in describing the Battle of the Bembesi as Britain's greatest struggle in native warfare since Rorke's Drift. Fred came to understand that recalling Rorke's Drift in the British Empire was akin to crying "Remember the Alamo"in the United States. Rorke's Drift was when a hundred thirty British soldiers held out in Natal against four thousand Zulus.

BULAWAYO-DECEMBER 1893
BEFORE LEAVING Bulawayo, Cecil Rhodes summoned Burnham to his presence for a private audience. It was Fred's first meeting with his hero and he privately warned himself to mind his Ps and Qs. The great man had come to Africa for his health, but from what Fred could see Britain's most powerful man acted like he was the king of the land.

"I'm pleased to meet a man of your rare courage and exceptional qualities,"

Rhodes said as they shook hands. A male servant served tea. Fred wished it was Arbuckles. Despite a ghastly falsetto voice, Rhodes was accustomed to having his commands instantly obeyed.

"This meeting is my honor," Burnham replied.

"I came half way around the world to serve you."

"Really now?"

"I came from California to serve your cause,"Fred said.

"Is that a fact?" Rhodes seemed to be all the more impressed because the guy talking to him was such a little fart. Yet his cobalt-blue eyes instantly took in every detail of the room.

"Doctor Jameson tells me if there were ten of you, the war would have been won in half the time."

"Like the devil at a baptizing," Burnham said, "we did a lot of rushing around. At other times, we were stuck in mud up to the buggy hubs."

Rhodes flinched. His life was so filled with intense action that he had little time for ordinary jocularity. Fred decided that give or take a pterodactyl or two, Rhodes was the first child of Adam's breed.

"Did you ever come across any Mormons while you were knocking about in America?" Rhodes asked. "I hear they are first-rank desert farmers."

Fred told of his experiences with Sirrine, the engineer who'd reclaimed the gradients of the Ho-Ho-Kams east of Phoenix. He repeated what Sirrine had described to him of the municipal layout of Salt Lake City.

Rhodes, his interest piqued, invited Fred into an inner sanctum where they talked for several hours. Rhodes' voice broke into a falsetto whenever he became excited.

Fred drew sketches to show how the Mormons built their cities on a pattern of rectangular city blocks with streets so wide a span of eighteen oxen could make a U-turn. At length, Rhodes said, "You've given me valuable ideas."

Fred rose to take his leave.

"May I ask you a personal question, Mr. Burnham?"

"Certainly." Fred replied.

"You're a many-sided fellow, a jolly mixture of the physical and the intellectual. Why is it that you choose to live out here on the borders of savagery?"

It was widely known that Rhodes spent his time in the splendor of his grand mansion, Groot Shure, on swelldoodle hill - the slope of Table Mountain in Cape Town.

"I thrive in the outdoors, Mr. Rhodes. Take London. The sidewalks are narrow. To walk is to battle your way to your destination. London is miles and miles of narrow, foggy streets and unadorned, plain, back-to-back houses. No desert is so dreary."

Rhodes quivered and his jowls shook like jelly.

"I shall never forget that description, Mr. Burnham," he said, once again scrutinizing Fred carefully. Then at length, he added.

"By the way, is there some way the British South Africa Company can repay you for the valuable services you've rendered to the Chartered Company?"

For fifteen seconds, Burnham seemed lost in thought.

"I appreciate the honor of your offer, but I fought to defend the lives of people, not to promote the interests of a commercial enterprise. I cannot accept any reward from the Chartered Company. If permitted, I might say that Matabele Land is as fine a place as it ever has been England's privilege to steal."

Rhodes' jowls shook and his face flushed. He arose, pursed his lips - his version of laughter - and reached across the desk to shake Fred's hand.

"I admire honesty," Rhodes said. "I'll disregard that remark."

Fred, still standing, tipped his hat and walked out.

For several minutes, Rhodes sat at his desk in silence. Then he turned to the open doorway.

"Doctor Jameson, please come in here. That Burnham chap, he's quite a remarkable fellow. To see him once is to know him always."

"That's I've been trying to tell you, Mr. Rhodes."

"But he's so American, so ruddy cowboy."

"Give us a year and we'll have him speaking the Queen's English."

Rhodes pulled a badly wrinkled envelope from his jacket pocket. He scribbled on the back of it and handed it to Jameson. "Maybe he won't accept a reward from the Chartered Company," Rhodes said enigmatically, "but from me? Well, see that this order is carried out."

Jameson studied the note and an expression of pure delight spread over his face. "Yes, Mr. Rhodes. It will be my greatest pleasure."

The next day, Cecil Rhodes left Bulawayo for Cape Town and London. He was accustomed to being the richest man in the world, the man who controlled ninety percent of the world's diamond market. Now he owned a country that was bigger than England or Germany, almost as big as France. Already people were calling it Rhodesia. For Cecil Rhodes, this was his finest hour. ......~Burnham%3A King of Scouts|ISBN-13 9781412009010|~11349~11382~Burnham%3A King of Scouts~

Commando - Deneys Reitz~A Boer Journal Of The Boer War While still in his teens Deneys Reitz served in the Boer forces during the South African War and, after fighting to the bitter end, chose exile in Madagascar rather than life under the British flag. It was during those years of banishment that he set down, while it was still vivid in his memory, this record of battle and guerilla warfare. This chronicle of forced marches, ambuscades, night attacks and narrow escapes shows why the Boer resistance took so long to crack. Fritz learned the craft of the guerilla under such masters as Botha, Delarey and Smuts, and from Smuts he learned, too, in due course the arts of peace, for it was Smuts who persuaded Reitz to return to South Africa and help in building the young Dominion. In that capacity Reitz showed the same qualities of wisdom, courage and leadership which he had developed as a fighting man, and he crowned a brilliant career of public service to the Union of South Africa by becoming its High Commissioner in London.
JDP Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-9201-6919-0 2nd edition 2006. 221 pages, ~~Commando|ISBN-13 9781920169190|~11349~11386~Boer war, south african war~

David Rattrays Guidebook To The Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields - David Rattray~South African born and bred, David Rattray's name is today synonymous with the Anglo-Zulu War. Now for the first time, his encyclopaedic knowledge is available to the reading public. With its magnificent colour artwork, including superb paintings, detailed maps and lively and informative text, this book will be greatly welcomed by both readers at home and visitors to the sites themselves.
ISBN: 0850529220~~David Rattrays Guidebook To The Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields|ISBN 0850529220|~11349~11740~~

Gazateer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 - H and M Jones~The result of many years of painstaking research, drawing from Afrikaans, Dutch and English sources and archives, now published to coincide with the centenary of the outbreak of the war. Listing over 1800 locations from cities to farms, mountain ranges to individual koppies, major railway junctions to sidings where military activity took place. Each location is listed under the name used in the war, with details of its variations as well the name in present use. Each entry, giving equal emphasis to both sides, includes details of activity, military significance and why the same location had a number of different names (ie Hart's Hill, Inniskilling Hill, Terrace Hill, and Green Hill), there are 14 Rietfontteins, seven Nooitgedachts listed. Exact geo-graphical location is provided by reference to the 1:250,000 series of topo-cadastral maps published by the South African Government Printer, together with a note of the distance from the nearest large centre of population. Each entry, contains reference to the main sources in English and Afrikaans, with notes on any relevant maps that can be found within them. This allows the researcher to follow up an initial enquiry with ease. Also included are appendices that detail the locations of all the actions where a Victoria Cross was awarded. Sites of Refugee Concentration Camps for both Black and Boer. Also there are indices that include Boer Commandos, British units and formations (including over 70 Cape, Natal and Transvaal units). as well as Boer and British personalities. For the first time this single volume will easily enable anyone wishing to find out what happened where in this war. An enormous amount of work and research has gone into its production. It is an invaluable reference work, not only for those interested in the war, but also the traveller and armchair tourist.
210x295mm 285 pages, maps.
ISBN 0-85420-1807 Hardback Edition : ISBN 0-85420-175-0 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~A GAZETTEER OF THE SECOND ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902 by H and M Jones
The result of many years of painstaking research, drawing from Afrikaans, Dutch and English sources and archives, now published to coincide with the centenary of the outbreak of the war. Listing over 1800 locations from cities to farms, mountain ranges to individual koppies, major railway junctions to sidings where military activity took place. Each location is listed under the name used in the war, with details of its variations as well the name in present use. Each entry, giving equal emphasis to both sides, includes details of activity, military significance and why the same location had a number of different names (ie Hart's Hill, Inniskilling Hill, Terrace Hill, and Green Hill), there are 14 Rietfontteins, seven Nooitgedachts listed. Exact geo-graphical location is provided by reference to the 1:250,000 series of topo-cadastral maps published by the South African Government Printer, together with a note of the distance from the nearest large centre of population. Each entry, contains reference to the main sources in English and Afrikaans, with notes on any relevant maps that can be found within them. This allows the researcher to follow up an initial enquiry with ease. Also included are appendices that detail the locations of all the actions where a Victoria Cross was awarded. Sites of Refugee Concentration Camps for both Black and Boer. Also there are indices that include Boer Commandos, British units and formations (including over 70 Cape, Natal and Transvaal units). as well as Boer and British personalities. For the first time this single volume will easily enable anyone wishing to find out what happened where in this war. An enormous amount of work and research has gone into its production. It is an invaluable reference work, not only for those interested in the war, but also the traveller and armchair tourist.
210x295mm 285 pages, maps.

ISBN 0-85420-1807 Hardback Edition : ISBN 0-85420-175-0 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~Gazateer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 (Softback)|ISBN 0854201750|Gazateer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 (hardback)|ISBN 0854201807|~11349~11354~~

Goodbye Dolly Gray: The Story of the Boer War - Rayne Kruger~Goodbye Dolly Gray was the anthem of the South African or Anglo-Boer War. A song that for a generation of British soldiers evoked memories of the Relief of Ladysmith, the Relief of Mafeking , the Battle of Spion Kop, the march on Pretoria and much more.... At the turn of the 20th century the largest army ever to have fought under the Union Jack was battling to extend the control of the British Empire over the gold fields of South Africa . Opposing them were the Boers, Afrikaans-speaking settlers who fought under the banner of anti-imperialism.
A facsimile version of the first edition printed in 1959
ISBN 9781-919854-25-01. 2009. Trade paperback, size 242 X 168mm. 592 pages, 24 pages black and white pics, maps.~

Goodbye Dolly I must leave you, though it breaks my heart to go,
Something tells me I am needed at the front to fight the foe,
See - the boys in blue are marching and I can no longer stay,
Hark - I hear the bugle calling, goodbye Dolly Gray.

Goodbye Dolly Gray was the anthem of the South African or Anglo-Boer War — a song that for a generation of British soldiers evoked memories of the Relief of Ladysmith, the Relief of Mafeking, the Battle of Spionkop and the march on Pretoria.

At the turn of the 20th century the largest army ever to have fought under the Union Jack was battling to extend the control of the British Empire over the gold fields of South Africa . Opposing them were the Boers, Afrikaans-speaking settlers who fought under the banner of anti-imperialism.

The Boer War marked the end of Victorian complacency and the beginning of a century of war. South Africa saw the first major use of machine guns, long-range artillery and barbed wire. Also here, making their debut on the historical stage, were the men of the 20th century including Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and Jan Smuts.

Rayne Kruger’s classic account, written in 1959, places the Boer War squarely in its social and political settings. The narrative ranges easily from the open spaces of the South African veld to the crowded benches of the House of Commons.

It includes vivid pen portraits of the main actors in the drama — from Lord Kitchener to Cecil Rhodes and the Boer leaders like Paul Kruger, Jannie Smuts and Louis Botha — and dramatic accounts of the main battles.

It also explores the legacy of the Boer War for South Africa and the British Empire .~Goodbye Dolly Gray|ISBN 97819198542501|~11349~12477~~

How We Kept the Flag Flying - Donald MacDonald~The full story of the seige and relief of Ladysmith during the Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902.
ISBN 9780620233422 140x215mm, Hardback. 303 pages~~How We Kept the Flag Flying|ISBN 9780620233422|~11349~11514~~

Inniskilling Diaries 1899-1903 - Martin Cassidy~By skillful use of three contemporary diaries, the author has created a fascinating and highly readable account of a famous infantry Regiment, the Royal Inniskiling Fusiliers, in the Second Boer War. The three diarists, two officers and a private, saw the campaign from very different perspectives. The book traces the progress of the Fusiliers from first mobilisation at Mullinger, Ireland in October 1899, through the poignant send off at Queenstown the voyage to South Africa. Once ashore, the Regiment was to be in the thick of the action at Colenso, Spion Kop, Vaal Krantz, the Relief of Ladysmith and then onto the Transvaal and Orange River Colony before returning home four years after their departure.
ISBN: 085052824. Hardback~~Inniskilling Diaries 1899-1903|ISBN 0850528240|~11349~11741~~

Isandlwana: Zulu War - Ian Castle, Ian Knight~The authors' description of the events on the fateful day ' 22 January 1879, brings to life the shocking defeat of the British Army at the hands of the Zulus. The blunders and omissions that resulted in the loss of so many lives are exposed.
ISBN: 0850526566. Paperback~~Isandlwana%3A Zulu War|ISBN 0850526566|~11349~11742~~

Kafir War of 1834-1835 - C Andrews~One of the very few eyewitness accounts of this "frontier" war in South Africa. The author was the military secretary to Colonel Harry Smith during the conflict. Smith was a hero of the Peninsular War who later became a Governor of South Africa. During the Kafir War 1834-5 he was Chief of Staff to General D'Urban. Operations took- place over three months leading to the Kafir defeat and the death of their leader.
145 x 208mm 55 pages, map
ISBN 0-85420-145-9 Hardback Edition, ISBN 0-84520-150-5 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~One of the very few eyewitness accounts of this "frontier" war in South Africa. The author was the military secretary to Colonel Harry Smith during the conflict. Smith was a hero of the Peninsular War who later became a Governor of South Africa. During the Kafir War 1834-5 he was Chief of Staff to General D'Urban. Operations took- place over three months leading to the Kafir defeat and the death of their leader.
145 x 208mm 55 pages, map
ISBN 0-85420-145-9 Hardback Edition, ISBN 0-84520-150-5 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~Kafir War of 1834-1835 (SoftBack)|ISBN 0854201505|Kafir War of 1834-1835 (Hardback)|ISBN 0854201459|~11349~11352~~

Kimberley - Lewis Childs~Who were the underdogs who took on British Imperial forces - and beat them? How could an old farmer who had beaten them before (Piet Cronje), and a middle-aged farmer, who did not want to fight them anyway (De La Rey), embarrass Queen Victoria's high officers like Lord Methuen? When did the most powerful man in Africa enable the capable commandant to hold out - while blighting his career? Why did the Queen's crack regiments turn their backs on the enemy? What lessons in application, patience and loyalty to oath given does Tommy Atkins give to us, in the 21st century? Who were the modern figures that still live through their letters and diaries in Regimental Archives, in spite of being dead. How could the Boers justify shelling civilians, or the British of all people not know that women and kids were dying in concentration camps? When did the accepted European Rules of War get turned over for ever? Why, when Bobs is nothing but a statue, and Rhodes the ghost of a chancer, does it matter? The Seige of Kimberley answers all these questions and more in a readable and authoritative way.
ISBN 085052766. Paperback~~Kimberley|ISBN 085052766X|~11349~11743~~

Kingdom in Crisis: The Zulu Response to the British Invasion of 1879 - John Laband~John Laband's classic work is the first history of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 to examine in full the complexities of the Zulu response to the British invasion of their kingdom. He does more than substitute a Zulu perspective of the campaign for the British one. He gives a fascinating insight into the social, political and military traditions of the Zulus which made it so difficult for them to withstand the invaders. His compelling account is based on extensive archival research, and is written in vivid detail. He covers the prelude to the war, gives graphic accounts of the sequence of battles from Isandlwana to Ulundi that determined its outcome, and assesses the settlement that ended the war. He shows how the Zulus were unable to adapt their military methods to counter the British challenge. Mounting military disaster, diplomatic stalemate and economic disruption eventually eroded their king's authority and encouraged his leading subjects to abandon his cause and come to terms with the British.
ISBN 978184415584. Paperback~~Kingdom in Crisis|ISBN 978184415584|~11349~11744~~

Ladysmith Colenso/Spion Kop/Hlangwane/Tugela - Lewis Childs~In 1899 the Boers, armed with the latest European rifles and artillery, drove through Natal to help themselves to a seaport - Durban - only to spend their energies in laying siege to the market and railway town of Ladysmith.
ISBN 0850526116. Paperback.~~Ladysmith Colenso/Spion Kop/Hlangwane/Tugela|ISBN 0850526116|~11349~11762~~

Ladysmith: The Siege - Lewis Childs~In 1899 the Boers, armed with the latest European rifles and artillery, drove through Natal to help themselves to a seaport - Durban - only to spend their energies in laying siege to the market and railway town of Ladysmith.
ISBN: 0850526531. Paperback~~Ladysmith%3A The Siege|ISBN%3A 0850526531|~11349~11763~~

Redcoats and Zulus - Adrian Greaves~A compendium of the most recent research into the Anglo Zulu War of 1879, compiled by the founder of the Anglo-Zulu Society and editor of its journal. The work considers the facts, the history, and numerous myths and fallacies that surround this fascinating and popular campaign in South Africa. Contributors include top Zulu War academics, experienced researchers and noted battlefield guides. It will contain everything one needs to know about the Zulu War.
ISBN: 1844150631. Hardback~~Redcoats and Zulus|ISBN 1844150631|~11349~11764~~

Rorke's Drift: Zulu War - Ian Castle, Ian Knight~The heroic defence of the mission station at Rorke's Drift became the epic action of the Anglo-Zulu War. A small garrison defended this valuable border-post for ten hours and in the process won the northern sector at Ntcombe Drift, Hlobane and Khambula. Essential reading for those who wish to learn the facts rather than the myths of this legendary stand.
ISBN: 0850526558. Paperback~~Rorke%27s Drift%3A Zulu War|ISBN 0850526558|~11349~11765~~

Sister Janet - Brian Best~Janet Well's achievements make for fascinating reading. She was only 18 when decorated for her nursing service to the Russians in the 1878 Balkan War. The following year she became the only nurse to serve at the Front in the Anglo Zulu War. After a period in Northern Zululand she was sent to the garrison at Rorke's Drift very soon after the legendary action. Revered by the soldiers, she had to make do in appalling conditions with scant supplies. She overcame extreme difficulties and prejudice despite her youth. After returning to England in time for her 20th birthday, her achievements were recognized by the award of the Royal Red Cross ' the highest accolade and the equivalent of the Victoria Cross. This is a gripping tale of a true heroine who refused to accept the conventions of the age and in so doing made a huge contribution to the welfare of the British Army.
ISBN: 1844154254. Hardback~~Sister Janet|ISBN 1844154254|~11349~11766~~

The 1879 Zulu War: Through the Eyes of the Illustrated London News - Compiled by Ron Lock & Peter Quantrill~120 years ago, every Saturday morning, at the cost of sixpence, the weekly Illustrated London News presented to its readers, descriptions of events and bloody battles of the Anglo-Zulu War, brought alive by the magnificent illustrations drawn by the top war artists of the day. Although copies of the original magazines are much sought after and have become collectors' items, the compilers of this book have painstakingly acquired every issue pertaining to the conflict and, having extracted every report and illustration on the subject, have produced, with an index, and in chronological order, a unique record of the Anglo-Zulu War, albeit through the eyes of a colonial Victorian age.
ISBN 0620308990, Hardcover + dustjacket. 310 x 220mm, 314pp, 246 b/w maps and sketches~ISBN 0620308990
Hardcover + dustjacket
310 x 220mm
314pp, 246 b/w maps and sketches

---

Through the Eyes of the Illustrated London News
The fascination of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 continues unabated. It was impassioned almost 40 years ago by the film Zulu, starring Stanley Baker and a yet-to-be-discovered Michael Caine. Zulu has been shown, and continues to be shown, on British television more than any other feature film. In the USA and elsewhere it has become a cult movie. Moreover, it created a near-avalanche of books, articles, lectures, documentaries and websites that has come close to being an industry. But the basis of all this activity was, in fact, generated 120 years ago by the weekly magazines of Victorian England such as the Illustrated London News.

Every Saturday morning, at the cost of sixpence, the Illustrated London News presented to its readers descriptions of events and bloody battles, brought alive by the magnificent illustrations drawn by the top war artists of the day.

Although copies of the original magazines are much sought after and have become collectors’ items, the compilers have painstakingly acquired every issue pertaining to the conflict and, having extracted every report and illustration on the subject, have produced, with an index, and in chronological order, a unique record of the Anglo-Zulu War, albeit through the eyes of a colonial Victorian age.

This compilation of the Illustrated London News, with a foreword by David Rattray of Fugitive’s Drift, has been compiled by the co-authors of the acclaimed Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-Up.

Ron Lock has spent much of his life in Africa, including 13 years in Kenya and Tanzania (Tanganyika). He served with the mounted troops of the Royal Military Police and the Rift Valley Troop of the Kenya Police. He is the author of Blood on the Painted Mountain, Hlobane and Kambula, 1879 (Greenhill Books) and numerous articles on military history, which have been published in the UK and USA. He is also a registered guide to Anglo-Zulu War and Anglo–Boer War battlefields.

Peter Quantrill was born in Simla, India, where he spent much of his youth. He was commissioned from Sandhurst into the 1st Battalion 7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles (now 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles). He served in India, Nepal, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong and Borneo before settling with his family in South Africa. A keen student of military history, his special interest lies in the Anglo-Zulu War.~The 1879 Zulu War|ISBN 0620308990|~11349~11095~~

The Boer Army 1899-1902: A Military Handbook - Anthony David Jones~The Organisation, Experiences and Methods of the Boer Army

This is the first detailed description of the Boer armies to appear in English since the end of the war nearly 100 years ago. The author explains the background to the Second Anglo-Boer War and includes an chronology and the organisation of the Boer Forces. The historical background of the Commandos and the different command structures between the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The war-time alterations and reorganisations by both States. The foreign volunteer units who served in the Boer forces. List of Transvaal Commandos and their strengths at the outbreak of the war, with Boer Orange Free State and Transvaal Order of Battle. The Boer Artillery, details of their guns and uniforms. Boer small arms; the types of rifles; such as the Martini-Henry, Lee-Metford, Guedes, Krag-Jorgensen and Mauser, and how and why they were acquired. The Boer in the field, his dress, and later in the war, the wearing of captured British uniforms. The Boer method of fighting and the development of their tactics in the "guerrilla phase". Also the Boer Commissariat and Medical Services are described
iv -+ 90 pages, tables, ills. map 210x295mm
ISBN 0-85420-253-8 Hardback Edition. ISBN 0-85420-240-4 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~THE BOER ARMY; 1899-1902: A MILITARY HANDBOOK The Organisation, Experiences and Methods of the Boer Army - Anthony David Jones

This is the first detailed description of the Boer armies to appear in English since the end of the war nearly 100 years ago. The author explains the background to the Second Anglo-Boer War and includes an chronology and the organisation of the Boer Forces. The historical background of the Commandos and the different command structures between the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The war-time alterations and reorganisations by both States. The foreign volunteer units who served in the Boer forces. List of Transvaal Commandos and their strengths at the outbreak of the war, with Boer Orange Free State and Transvaal Order of Battle. The Boer Artillery, details of their guns and uniforms. Boer small arms; the types of rifles; such as the Martini-Henry, Lee-Metford, Guedes, Krag-Jorgensen and Mauser, and how and why they were acquired. The Boer in the field, his dress, and later in the war, the wearing of captured British uniforms. The Boer method of fighting and the development of their tactics in the "guerrilla phase". Also the Boer Commissariat and Medical Services are described

iv -+ 90 pages, tables, ills. map 210x295mm
ISBN 0-85420-253-8 Hardback Edition. ISBN 0-85420-240-4 Softback Edition

Please allow for 1 week before dispatch~The Boer Army 1899-1902 (Softback)|ISBN 0854022404|The Boer Army 1899-1902 (Hardback)|ISBN 0854202358|~11349~11355~~

The Curling Letters of the Zulu War - Brian Best, Adrian Greaves~The crushing defeat suffered by the British Army by the Zulus at Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 is by any standards a gripping and shocking story. The discovery of a complete set of diaries written by a young Royal Artillery officer who was the only survivor of his unit which lost all their guns is a very important find. Not only does this superb record tell of the dramatic events of that fateful day but it captures the atmosphere of the whole campaign and the age in which it was fought, and makes for compulsive reading.
ISBN 1844151425. Hardback~~The Curling Letters of the Zulu War|ISBN 1844151425|~11349~11767~~

The Zulu Kings and Their Armies - Diane Canwell, Jon Sutherland~Covering nearly one hundred years of Zulu military history, this book focuses on the creation, maintenance, development, tactics and ultimate destruction of the Zulu army. It studies the armies, weapons and tactics under the rule of the five Zulu kings from Shaka to Dinizulu. The rule of each of the five kings is examined in terms of their relationships with the army and how they raised regiments to expand their influence in the region. All the major battles and campaigns are discussed with reference to the development of the weapons and tactics of the army.
ISBN 1844150607. Hardback~~The Zulu Kings and Their Armies|ISBN 1844150607|~11349~11768~~

Undefeated: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Lt Col Jack Sherwood Kelly VC, CMG, DSO - Philip Bujak~Undefeated's subject is a South African soldier who, in 1917, was called “the bravest man in the British Army” who crossed swords with Churchill in an attempt to stop British soldiers being killed in a secret, needless and directionless campaign against Russia - the relevance of this book with the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq could not be more pertinent.
"Philip Bujak has told a lucid and masterly tale of Lt Col Jack Kelly, the supreme fighting machine - a real live video game hero sharpened by the whetstone of harsh and brutal front-line combat. The rounded narrative of this true warrior of valour is told against the historical backdrop of the British Empire's turbulent and violent decline. The personality of Kelly emerges as a man of contradictions: military brave but politically inept; a man of violence yet compassionate; inwardly insecure but outwardly strident; inspirational yet exasperating; a soldier who understood more about death than life. Yet it is Jack's character that is more compelling: a leader of virtue; courageous; prudent when required; just and loyal; an officer who knew the difference between compliance and obedience. Combat teaches us that the purpose of a just war is peace and that violence and arms will never resolve the problems of man. Philip's book is timely reminder to politicians and servicemen engaged in prosecuting another 'useless, aimless and ill-managed campaign'." - Lt Col (retired) Christopher P B Keeble, DSOThe Parachute Regiment
ISBN-13: 978-0955190223. Aug 2008. Softback 20.8 x 14.8 x 2 cm. 256 pages.~Undefeated's subject is a South African soldier who, in 1917, was called “the bravest man in the British Army” who crossed swords with Churchill in an attempt to stop British soldiers being killed in a secret, needless and directionless campaign against Russia - the relevance of this book with the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq could not be more pertinent.

The book tells the roller coaster story of Jack Sherwood Kelly who declared, age eight, that he would be awarded the Victoria Cross. 30 years later in 1918 he stood in front of King George V at Buckingham Palace to be decorated in exact accordance with that ambition. Jack was born in the Transkei in 1880 and lived in Cape Town and Queenstown SA.

One year on from that he would face a court-martial and be relieved of his duties. His crimes were questioning orders and publicly questioning political wisdom, Churchill's political wisdom specifically, in sending troops to Archangel, Northern Russia. This was an expedition Kelly volunteered for, but one he would come to oppose. Churchill's ambition, 'to strangle Bolshevism at birth', was dressed up as an effort to repatriate munitions from Russia. But Kelly believed meddling in Russian affairs - something we're seeing again in the 21st century - and risking the lives of brave men who had fought for King and Country through the Great War was a mistake and he created what became a national scandal aimed directly at Churchill…


In 1880 Jack was born, in The Transkei, South Africa, to an Irish father and English mother. He went to school in Queenstown and St Andrews College. His mother died when he was 12, his twin brother when he was 13. Expelled from schools he joined the Cape Mounted Police but was dismissed three years later, age 19, for insubordination. He joined the Imperial Light Horse and served in the Second Boer War, Somaliland and Matabeleland. Where there was a fight there was Kelly. He was, many times, mentioned in dispatches for bravery and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant.

Enlisted into 2/King Edwards Light Horse in London in 1914, he would soon become a Major with The Norfolk Regiment. He volunteered for Gallipoli where he led from the front at Suvla Bay and was mentioned in dispatches as 'Bomb Kelly' but was badly injured. Throughout the rest of the war he served many times in France with the 1/Royal Inniskilling and was again severely wounded on The Somme. Awarded the DSO in 1916, the CMG in 1917 and the Victoria Cross in 1918, Kelly was one of the most decorated South African soldiers in history and was the most decorated man in the history of the Norfolk Regiment. He also led two roller coaster recruiting tours of South Africa.

He was a 'Heculean Giant' with a 'quite remarkable disregard for danger'. His gallantry and bravery were considerable but his disregard for the political power of Churchill was fatal…

From 1920 until his death from Malaria in 1931 he lived in an opulent hotel in Kensington having parted from his devoted wealthy London socialite wife in a very public divorce scandal. Taking a second lover, Kelly lived a double life on the London social scene, he pulled trams through the streets of London in The General Strike and tried his hand at politics, fighting hand to hand at political meetings, standing for the Conservatives in 1923 and the establishment that had brought him down. He later tried his hand at big game hunting in Africa, built roads across Bolivia only to die alone and penniless.~Undefeated|ISBN-13 9780955190223|~11349~12659~~

Who's Who in the Anglo Zulu War 1879 - Adrian Greaves, Ian Knight~The Anglo Zulu War continues to attract phenomenal interest. What was meant to be a quick punitive expedition led by Lord Chelmsford turned into a watershed for British Colonial power. The ignominious defeat at Isandlwana was a terrible blow to British military pride but the heroic stand at Rorke’s Drift, while a minor event by comparison, allowed the powers-that-be to salvage some honour. This authoritative book covers all the main players, be they military, political or civilian, with concise yet readable individual entries. In addition to the military commanders on both sides, we have the VC winners, those at Rorke’s Drift and survivors of the massacre. Individuals such as The Crown Prince Imperial whose actions made an impact all have entries.
ISBN: 184415479. Hardback~~Who%27s Who in the Anglo Zulu War 1879|ISBN 1844154793|~11349~11769~~

Who's Who in the Anglo Zulu War 1879: Volume 2 - Adrian Greaves, Ian Knight~The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 has a character that inspires and fascinates readers and increasing numbers of visitors to South Africa. The two volume biographical dictionary of the participants is a unique venture and this second volume reveals much about the formidable Zulu nation which so nearly humbled the mighty British Empire which had provoked the conflict. Thanks to the deep knowledge and research abilities of the two authors this fascinating book provides detail on both the leaders of the Zulu armies, which totalled some 40,000 warriors. We learn of the terrible price paid by this proud nation not just from the defeat by the British but in the civil war of 1883 brought about as a result of the internal tensions unleashed by the Zulu War. The role of the Colonials, be they British settlers, Boer or non-Zulu Africans is also examined through highly informative entries on the main personalities.
ISBN: 1844155269. Hardback~~Who%27s Who in the Anglo Zulu War 1879%3A Volume 2|ISBN 1844155269|~11349~11770~~

Winston Churchill: The Making of a Hero in the South African War - Eric Bolsman~One of the greatest talents that Winston Churchill was blessed with with was his extraordinary command of the English language. He would go on to write a prodigious 65 books in his lifetime. He was rewarded for this in 1953 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet in Britain his abilities as a writer were already widely recognised by the end of the 19th century. Yet oddly enough he had not excelled academically at school and it was only on his third attempt that he passed the entrance examination to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. This is the story of his bravery while with the British Army in South Africa as a war correspondent and as a Special Service officer for which he was much acclaimed.
ISBN 978-1-919854-22-3. 2009. Trade paperback, size 242 X 168mm. 268 pages, 16 pages black and white and colour pics, eight in-text maps, illustrations.~Notes by the author

One of the greatest talents that Winston Churchill was blessed with was his extraordinary command of the English language. He would go on to write a prodigious 65 books in his lifetime. He was rewarded for this in 1953 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet in Britain his abilities as a writer were already widely recognised by the end of the 19th century. Yet oddly enough he had not excelled academically at school and it was only on his third attempt that he passed the entrance examination to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst .

Before entering politics he went on to combine his military career with journalism and shortly after the outbreak of the South African War in 1899, he was contracted as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. He made his way to the Natal front where he was destined to become one of the highest-paid newspaper reporters in the world.

Much has been made of Churchill's heroism. The exceptional courage he displayed when defending the derailed armoured train at Chieveley in Natal made his reputation. Yet strictly speaking as a journalist he was a non-combatant, but on his capture, the Boers treated him as a combatant because of his actions at the armoured train.

This was not an isolated incident of bravery for on other occasions, in Cuba, India and in Africa, his sometimes almost reckless courage had drawn widespread comment. On three different occasions during the Malakand campaign in India , he rode his pony along the skirmish line while everyone else was ducking for cover. He admitted that his actions were foolish, but playing for high stakes was a calculated risk. 'Given an audience there is no act too daring or too noble', he wrote to his mother, and concluded his letter by saying: '... without the gallery things are different.'

Scaling the wall surrounding the prison yard in Pretoria and making his way through enemy territory to Portuguese East Africa was not considered a particularly great feat by the British military. Yet his escape - he was largely unknown to the British people until then - was hailed by many as one of the greatest military escapes ever.

His instant fame, to a large degree, came about because the war was going badly for the British Army at the time. A depressed British people needed a hero to bolster their sagging enthusiasm for the war, so Winston Churchill was their man.

He had the need to stay in the limelight to fuel his political ambitions and the best way to achieve that was by returning to the front as a journalist and part-time soldier after his escape where he continued to captivate the readers of the Morning Post with his dispatches, writing convincingly about his own and other's front-line experiences.

His stories of how he miraculously escaped the bullets that whistled around him in Natal and the Orange Free State and how he rode a bicycle through enemy-held Johannesburg, ending with his triumphant returned to Pretoria where he helped to liberate his former fellow POWs from captivity, earned his newspaper a fortune.

The fact that the adventures he described sometimes did not happen exactly the way he related them didn't seem to bother anyone. William Manchester wrote: 'Virtually every event he [Churchill] described in South Africa, as in Cuba, on the North-West Frontier, and at Omdurman, was witnessed by others with whom recollections were consistent. The difference, of course, lay in the interpretation'.

I set out to discover the real Churchill in those early years of his life. During this process I discovered many facets to this complex and controversial man. At times I felt like a certain painter described by Cervantes. This sage artist was asked, as he was starting on a new canvas, what his picture was to be. 'That', he replied, 'is as it may turn out'.

So this, my account of how the young and extraordinary Winston Churchill became a hero during the South African War, is how it turned out.~Winston Churchill|ISBN 9781919854223|~11349~12476~Winston Churchill~