1 comments about COMPANION TO THE ANGLO-ZULU WAR.

1. In the genre of historical inquiry and interpretation, a book bearing the word "Companion" within its title, seems to immediately conjure the image of a reference manual. Often, such references are quickly dismissed as dry, boring and only of value to the most zealous students. In this instance however, the term Companion is somewhat misleading. To be sure, it does fulfill it's reference expectations in the manner one would expect from Ian Knight, with absolute accuracy, unassailable scholarship and thorough annotation. But the real genius of this work did not strike me until I was near the end of page 53. I had devoured the first twelve topical studies, from Ammunition Boxes to Burying the Dead, in one swipe----as if I were on vacation guiltily reading tawdry fiction. Within this type of book, which seems to have more ambiguous literary parameters than that of a serious history, Knight is able to stretch a bit, and he shows himself as a writer of most excellent quality. Indeed, it is his commentary on the facts and anecdotes examined that gives this work it's tremendous value.
   
   Regarding the gap in Zulu War literature alluded to in the title, it's filled by this book in the following manner. A quick examination of my book shelves revealed a count of no less than 75 major titles dealing specifically with the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, not to mention countless magazine articles, society journals and smaller specialty books dealing with aspects such as uniforms and weapory. The point is then, when one is reading these accounts, often they cause as many questions to arise as those they answer. A simplistic yet clear enough example is the Ammunition Box controversy at Isandlwana. It's well and good to read about a possible shortage of ammuntion due to the nature of the boxes. However, this book explains why or why not that may have been the case but only after a comprehensive look at the evidence, from the design of the box, to survivor testimony and archaeological data. As this is the standard methodology applied to all the scrutinized subjects, a great many of my questions finally have answers.
   
   A feature that should be well appreciated for it's convenience factor, is the inclusion within the introduction of maps associated with every major military action of the war. The biggest visual treat however is on the dust cover, which features a newly discovered contemporary painting from an as yet unknown artist, of the action at the mission station at Rorke's Drift. Unfortunately, as the size of the original painting is obviously too large to fit even wrapped around the cover, one is not afforded a truly satisfying view. Hopefully at some point the entire painting will be made available in print form.
   
   In the age of the internet, many students of history find themselves debating and discussing favorite subjects online with others of like interests. For those who find themselves emeshed in the history of the Anglo-Zulu War, having this book will most assuredly lend an advantage over fellow debaters, as well as saving one from rampaging through 75 books for that one all important reference!

No comments about THE GREAT BOER WAR.

5 comments about Rutland's Guns.

1. This is an excellent follow up to Rutland's Curse which was a great military history novel set in Afghanistan.
   Where will Peter Rutland go next? Wherever it is I will follow.
   
   An Old Gunner



2. The first book in this series showed some promise that the author was developing however the interesting historical premise for this story and the execution were wildly divergent. Characters are shallow and undeveloped and relationships "appear" without any grounding for the reader. If you have a couple of hours free this might be worth a read if your desperate, but I would be reaching for something with a bit more substance and re-reading a Bernard Cornwell or Garry Kilworth The Valley of Death (Fancy Jack Crossman 2)next time!



3. This is a perfect follow up to the first book, 'Rutland's Curse'. The authentic feeling of the action and description of the country where it is fought is a pure joy to read. The characters are much stronger than the first book and it leaves the reader eager to read the next in the series. It is a true page turner - beware it is addictive. This book can be read without having read the first one
   The Rifles have their 'Sharpe' now the Gunners have a hero, 'Peter Rutland'.
   A welcome addition to the Cornwell, Forrester range of military novels.



4. This story continues the Rutland series but it can be read on its own for a real historical military adventure.
   Roger Carpenter has again caught the feeling of the 1899 era in London and involved the reader with the interest in detail of gunnery without being pedantic. There are unexpected twists in the story that kept my attention completely captured.
   His excellent description, not only of the South African countryside, but also of the life and duty of the Gunners is a great pleasure to read. He obviously spends a great deal of time on historic and geographic research.
   
   [...]



5. This was a very fast and enjoyable read ! I would recommend it for anyone who likes this type of historical fiction.

5 comments about Commando: A Boer Journal Of The Boer War.

1. Excellent primary source for research papers on the Boer War! I highly reccommend it!



2. First person narrative of the Boer War written just one year after the end of the war. Gives unusual insight into the life of a Boer commando during this conflict with the mighty British army.



3. Deneys Reitz's memoire of the Second Boer War is a Classic and has been since its publication. My only problem is that this 2008 edition by CruGuru contains examples of some of the sloppiest proofreading/printing I have ever seen. Misspelled words are frequent and completely wrong words substituted are even more frequent.
   "Commando", which contains little strategy but a great deal of human reaction to close combat, can be read and enjoyed by anyone. But buy an edition from a different publisher.



4. As a student of military history Reitz's book is well worth the read. However, the current copy was reprinted by [...] or some such place that obviously does not have a proof reader or editor on staff. In many places they made up new words to be inserted in place of the correct word. This occurs nearly every other page. In many cases these obscure words totally change the meaning of the paragraph. I have read the original and it does not contain such errors.



5. An Amazing story, That is all true. This really sheds some light on what the Boers did and how they staid in the field so long. Shines some light on the leading hisorical figures of the war.
   
   I found that this book gave me more information on the boer war then any other book I have ever read.

1 comments about The Boer Wars (1): 1836-98 (Men-at-Arms) (v. 1).

1. This is a good chance to have a general overview of that important conflict that marked the transition to modern XX century warfare and the last colonial war of the Victorian British Empire. Information is very complete considering the limited 40 pages. Art work could be more detailed but this is the style of this artist. Art work descriptions are short and undetailed, dissapointing in this point. A very good choice...

5 comments about The Boer War.

1. Atr the outset, it should be noted that this book could be usefully supplemented by reading COMMANDO by Deneys Reitz - A Boer journal ,of the Boer War.
   Much of the horror of 20th century warfare - trench warfare, concentration camps, shooting or otherwise mistreating prisoners - was carried out in the Boer war. Some readers, and I am a general reader not an historian, will have been aware of elements of the Boer War such as the shooting of prisoners by Lt "Breaker Morant" which was and is something of a cause celebre in Australia retold in books, plays and a fine contemporary film. But the one feeling I have after reading this fine book by Mr Pakenham is a far greater sympathy for the Boers and a much better appreciation of the contribution and sacrifice that black Africans made in what was touted as a "white man's" war. In fact it was a black man's war too with c100,000 black riflemen seeing duty, and fighting in effect for the right to vote. Mr Pakenham provides evidence to suggest that the successful survival by the British at the siege of Mafeking was made possible by the sacrifice of black Africans.
   Item: 3500 horses perished in one day in one cavalry charge.
   Item: 400,000 horses, mules, donkeys died in total
   Item: Lord Kitchener invented the concentration camp using a Spanish model re Cubans
   Item: The British military and politicians did not care about the thousands of women and children in concentration camps and as the result of disgusting conditions many many died as a result.
   Item: It was not superior marksmanship or courage that won, but the application of the knowledge that defence was superior to attack with the new, smokeless, high velocity, weapons.
   The book is very well written, with a reliance on much primary source material, especially diaries and letters of the major British protagonists
   including Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner for South Africa and Lt Governor of Cape Colony who is revealed in his own words as a thoroughly despicable character. The reader also gets a very real feeling for the exigencies of the landscape, the boredom of routine for the military, the clash of battle where the stones on the ground or the mud on the banks of a river become as frighteningly real as the whizz and splat of dum dum bullets. Clearly the writer has experienced the landscape firsthand. The reader also gets a very real picture of the characters involved, their weaknesses and strengths, including some ordinary and very likeable soldiers or "Tommy's".
   The likely causes and consequences of the war are made clear to the reader. The usual suspects - imperial supremacy of the British; greed for gold, diamonds; denial of franchise; nationalism - are covered and a re-evaluation of the protaganists undertaken. It is a fair and balanced re-assessment of the task faced by General Sir Redvers Buller and his inability to overcome it whilst appreciating his intelligent appraisal of the situation he found himself in. On the other hand it reveals Lord Kitchener as arrogant and hard working but overrated and over-compensated for his role. The book also emphasises the CRITICAL role of transport and supply.
   We are still living with the consequences of it today but one redeeming reality is that democracy and a free press are likely to inhibit a repetition. What was that? Guantanomo Bay? Oil? Imperialism? Franchise? Prisons?



2. This is simply a fantastic and very readable book. The down side is that it is about another bloody and useless war. This war set the stage for the the 20th-century wars to come. The Boer War was the first time concentration camps were used, and the US simultaneously used the idea in their Spanish-American War in the Philippines. We have much to learn from Thomas Pakenham's book, including how the special interests (neocons in the case of the Iraq War) propagandize for war and how wars, in general, have nothing to do with national security, but rather with plunder for the corporatocracy. Here is a taste for those of you who just don't get how horrible war is: "The farms were burnt, the stock looted, the women and children concentrated in camps along the railway lines. Between twenty thousand and twenty-eight thousand Boer civilians died of epidemics in these "concentration camps". This same story continues today, only now in Iraq. Will the masses ever cease getting duped by their criminal states???



3. Pakenham's "The Boer War" is one of the best and certainly one of the most thorough works on the war against the Afrikaner peoples of South Africa. This book is both well-researched and well written and, although it is tempting to take exception against this particular colonial war--because it was against "fellow" whites--it must be remembered that the British, scarcely 100 years before, waged war against fellow whites in America.
   
   The difference was that the Americans proved victorious partially because the English were not prepared to go to the extremes they did in South Africa. Ultimately, the English had more troops in South Africa than the Africaners had total population--men, women and children. They also resorted to measures never used against the Americans, namely concentration camps to imprison civilians. Consequently, Great Britain proved victorious but it was a pyrrhic victory, indeed.
   
   There are major similarities and dissimularities between the Boer War and the American Civil War. In both cases the "rebel" forces initially were victorious against larger, better supplied armies. Also, in both cases, the rebels were eventually defeated in open battle. Here the similarities end. Lee, when surrounded at Appomatox, had the option of "going on commando." He refused, reckoning that the damage--both physical and moral--would be worse than surrender. The Boers, given the same option, opted for guerilla warfare. The result was death, devastation and hatred lasting to the present day.
   
   In both cases--Southern and Afrikaner--defeat resulted in extreme measures against black populations. In the South, Jim Crow and the Klan were the unfortunate result. In South Africa, apartheid was the result. In the case of the South, northern domination eventually forced complete desegregation. In the case of South Africa, world opinion and sanctions, resulted in a takeover by the ANC and...it is now totally irrelevant as to whether the English or Afrikaners proved victorious. They are all in the position of potentially losing everything.
   
   Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico



4. Thomas Pakenham, the brother of historian Antonia Fraser, penned "The Boer War" in the early 1970s. He was privileged to have available a trusty tape recorder and the reedy voices of several of the Tommy Atkins Brits who actually foght in the war!
   The Boer War lasted from 1899-1902. Its purpose was to conquer the Boer republics of the Orange Free State (cattle and sheep farmers) and Transvaal home to the world's richest gold mines.
   One war had been fought in the early 1880s won by Britain leading to their conquering of the Natal region. The British government's headquarters were in Capetown in the Cape colony. The Jameson raid in 1895 launched by the British against the Transvaal had failed.
   Now in 1899 the second Boer war began. Its author was Sir Arthur Milner High Commissioner to the Cape Colony. This bold imperialist wanted all of Africa to be British on his own terms. His opponent was the President of the Transvall the aged Paul Kruger. The Conservative government in London backed Milner in his plans. PM Salisbury wanted to seize South Africa for its rich gold lode and to ensure it would be secure as a fueling stop on the voyage around Africa to India the jewel in the British empire.
   The war was noted for its long sieges in which British civilians and soldiers were beseiged by Boers. The major sieges were at Mafeking and Ladysmith.
   The Boers were a tough opponent believing in guerilla warfare led by such fierce warriors as Jan Smuts and De Wet. The war dragged on feeding into its bloody maw over 22,000 British dead matched by an equal number of the Boers. Blacks were also killed in the thousands. Both the Boers and British were anti-black treating these people with great cruelty.
   Among the reasons for folks on this side of the pond to study the Boer War are the following:
   a. Lord Kitchener's widespread use of the concentration camp system to hold Boer women, children and POW's would be a harbinger of the horrors of twentieth century concentration camps in World War II and in the Soviet Gulag.
   b. Smokeless powder and automatic weapons were used widely for the first time in major battles. The time of the cavalry horse was ending as defensive warfare (seen in its most salient focus in World War I) would come to the fore.
   c. The war was one of the costliest in English history. It reminds Americans of our long ordeals in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.
   d. Men like the Commander Lord Roberts failed to properly administer hospitals, organize transport for his troops and failed to see that warfare was changing in the modern age.
   e. The war was the introduction to combat of such British luminaries of World War I as John French, HH. Kitchener and Douglas Haig.
   f. The war gave Winston Churchill his first fame. Churchill had been held in Praetoria as a captive of the Boers; he returned home to write a bestseller about his adventures winning him a seat in the British House of Commons.
   Great Britain proved victorious due to over 250,000 troops committed to the grisly campaign. The Orange Free State and Transvaal became possessions of the British Empire.
   This book is the sine qua non of literature on the Boer War. It is 615 densely written pages which will not whet the appetite of everyone. If you like detailed accounts of battles and a backstairs look at diplomacy this book will gratify your interest.



5. I've never been interested in military history, but I picked this book off my father's book shelf, and I found it to be fascinating, well-written, and very well organized. And there is a good balance between analysis of the causes of the war, biographical detail of the personalities, and description of battles.

4 comments about The Great Anglo-Boer War.

1. This is an absorbing, well written account of a neglected (by American readers anyway) war at the turn of the last century. Rather than being a dry academic text, Farwell's writing style serves to bring the war to life 100 years after the fact. Seamlessly mixing descriptions of tactical battlefield and operational decisions with the geo-political/strategic back drop of the war, intertwining the personal narratives of the men who were carrying out orders and executing political/military decisions (which I'd say was very "Ken Burns" if Farwell's book didn't pre-date Burns' work by almost a decade).
   
   Coupled with other accounts of the war, like Goodbye Dolly Gray (another excellent book) written by Rayne Kruger, the average reader can understand some of the causal factors of South Africa's apartied system and gain an insight into the history of a long troubled region.
   
   I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader looking for a fast-paced non-academic history of the Boer War. You won't go wrong.



2. Simply put, one of the greatest, most detailed and yet most readable histories, military or otherwise, to ever have been published. If you have even a passing interest in history, this book is for you. The parallels that can be drawn to our present day situation in the middle east are shocking, and this book was written quite a while ago.



3. Quite easily the best book on the topic of the second Anglo-Boer war. If there were but one book you read concerning this timely subject, it is this one. The author leads the reader on a fast-paced but thorough and enjoyable tour of the people and places involved. The intermixture of battlefield strategic and tactical decisions are interspersed with human stories of the men who carried out the orders and the political forces that fueled the conflict. A must have for the panoramic big picture with detail enough to satisfy the most avid military historian. It is a work I come back to again and again.



4. This book was probably one of the most relevant, gripping and epic history books I have ever read. The numerous parallels between the Iraq war and the Boer War make it all the more powerful.
   Most Brit academics are long on tangential, spurious fact and short on prose. This is were Farwell parts with his contemporaries. It can be read by the casual historian (skip some of the long sieges) or the consummate soldier, as Byron fully illustrates the flaws and strength of each protagonist at every major turning point. He does not hold back personal judgment which adds much needed context. He imbues these real characters with life allowing this to become more Epic than history book.
   As an avid reader of insurgent doctrine this ranks up there with: Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, A War Like No Other and Guerrilla Warfare (Che not Mao).
   While it is a hefty read I dare you to put this down after the first couple chapters. You will not be disappointed.

4 comments about The Boer War 1899-1902 (Essential Histories).

1. While the Boer War of 1899-1902 has been overshadowed in collective memory by the two world wars, in many respects the conflict was one of the first modern wars. The conflict was also unusual for its mobile operations over vast areas, its protracted guerrilla phase and in particular, the tactical successes by a small armed citizenry against a much larger, professional military force. Historian Gregory Fremont-Barnes does a wonderful job in Osprey's Essential Histories #52, The Boer War 1899-1902, in describing this landmark conflict. Even after a century, there are many lessons to be learned from a study of the Boer War by military professionals and this volume is an excellent starting place. The Boer War 1899-1902 is also one of the best volumes in the Essential Histories series.

   After a short introduction and chronology, The Boer War 1899-1902 provides an excellent 10-page section on the background to the war. Interestingly, the discovery of diamonds and gold in South Africa in the 19th Century and its relationship to the crisis that led to war might seem analogous with the modern relationship between oil and international security. The six-page section on opposing sides is also quite good; in particular, the author notes the Boer's advantage in tactical mobility due to all their troops being mounted, and the possession of a small, but efficient artillery arm. In the section on the outbreak of the war, the author notes how both sides were inclined to seek war as a solution and how the Boers imported large quantities of weapons and ammunition just before the conflict began. The actual campaign narrative is 35 pages in length and is supported by ten maps (South Africa 1899, principal theater of operations, the siege of Ladysmith, the Battle of Colenso, the Battle of Spion Kop, the siege of Mafeking, Lord Robert's advance, the siege of Kimberley, the blockhouse system, and Smut's invasion of the Cape Colony). The section on "portrait of a soldier" profiles Deneys Reitz, a Boer commando who wrote a postwar memoir, while "portrait of a civilian" profiles Emily Hobhouse, an Englishwoman who attempted to improve the welfare of interned Boer civilians. Final sections cover how the war ended and its consequences. The bibliography is also quite good and more extensive than most other Osprey volumes, and the illustrations throughout are also excellent.

   The series of military defeats that the British forces suffered in the first three months of the conflict are amazing by any standard; expert Boer rifle marksmanship, efficient artillery, knowledge of the terrain and cunning selection of defensive positions allowed the farmers-turned-soldiers to annihilate one British battalion after another. Most of the rest of the British army was cut-off and besieged in isolated posts like Ladysmith, Kimberly and Mafeking. Indeed, had the Boer's used their initial advantages to push on and seize the vital coastal ports, the British might not have been in a position to relieve their besieged garrisons for some time and the war might have been ended much sooner. As Fremont-Barnes narrative reveals, the Boers were very successful throughout the war on the tactical level, but on the operational level they were overly conservative and unimaginative. On the other hand, it seems almost incredible that so many British commanders could persist in frontal assaults against entrenched Boer positions, even after ample evidence that this was disastrous. The British had important deficiencies in tactical mobility and intelligence that left them unable to come to grip with their foes in the initial stages of the war. The British also had a tendency to split up their forces too much, based upon their innate (but false) sense of tactical superiority. Time and again, small British columns were surprised and overwhelmed. In the end, the British were able to win the conventional phase of the war by using overwhelming and concentrated force, as well as rectifying their mobility problems by widespread use of cavalry. The guerrilla phase was won by the controversial policies of "scorched earth," internment camps and blockhouses to contain the free-riding Boer commandos.

   Fremont-Barnes' narrative is full of interesting insights that are applicable to other conflicts, in other times. One British officer notes that the seizure of the Boer capitals seems to have had little impact on their will to resist: "the Boers set no store by them [the capitals] apparently; neither Bloemfontein nor Pretoria have been seriously defended, and they go on fighting after their loss just as if nothing had happened." Barnes also notes that the British army found it relatively easy to control the few towns and even the rail lines, but found it almost impossible to control the vast stretches of open veldt upon which the Boer commando roamed (although in a few years, the arrival of aircraft would have made life tougher for the Boers) - which is still a problem familiar to modern military personnel in places like Somalia, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

   Ultimately, the British achieved a military victory after committing 450,000 troops to subdue an enemy that never had more than 60,000 troops. Nor was victory cheap; the war cost Britain £200 million and 22,000 dead. Oddly, the victory was a hollow one. Fremont-Barnes notes that, "the greatest paradox of the war was the fact that, though Britain emerged the victor in the military sense, the Boers clearly won the peace. Within a decade of the end of hostilities all four South African Crown colonies had been unified into a self-governing union dominated by Afrikaners. The Boer republics had gone to war in the name of liberty and now they had achieved it."




2. I knew next to nothing about the Boer War when I sat down to read this book. Though I can't truly claim to be an expert on the subject now, I almost feel as though I am one, because this book is so well written. The narrative is very easy to follow and the plentiful maps and photographs are close to superb. Plus, the discussion of the centuries preceeding the actual war, though brief, put the war in context quite nicely. There really isn't anything more to say except that if you want a short introduction to the Boer War, then buy and read this book!



3. I had little knowledge of, nor interest in, the Boer War until I saw the movie "Breaker Morant", the story of the court martial of three (Australian) junior officers serving in a special unit of the British Army in that war.
   
   Two of them were executed, and the third, Lt. George Witton was sentenced to life in prison(later commuted). Witton later wrote a book about this, entitled "Scapegoats of the Empire", making the case that the three of them were sold out by the high command and sacrificed to political expediency. Although I first saw the movie "Breaker Morant" about twenty years ago, I had often wondered about Witton's book, and how he actually told the story. I was under the impression that the book was out of print, but recently found it quite easily and reasonably priced through Amazon. So, I ordered it, and "The Boer War: 1899 -1902 (Essential Histories)" was recommended as a companion volume. So, I ordered that one, too. This book on the Boer War was helpful in setting Witton's book into the overall context of the type of grinding guerilla war the British were facing and why Witton's unit was given orders (denied during the court martial) not to take prisoners. (In addition, the British high command had adopted a "scorched earth policy" to try to bring the plucky Boer farmers to their knees, and confined Boer women and children to concentration camps under the most wretched conditons. So, the book on the Boer War help set the context for Witton's book, which was essentially the story of the raw deal he and Lts. Morant and Handcock received at the hands of the generals and the politicians.



4. The "Essential Histories" series from Osprey could easily be compared to the Cliff Notes series. They'll give you a nice introduction to a topic you are not familiar with, but no real depth. Most volumns are under 100 pages; therefore, don't expect many "man in the trenches" stories.
   
   This book is what this series does best: present a little understood period of military history with some background, goals of participants, and outcome.

No comments about An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Uniforms of the 19th Century: An Expert Guide to the American Civil War, the Boer War, the Wars of German and Italian ... Colonial Wars (Illustrated Encyclopaedia of).

5 comments about Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa.

1. 
   Very few histories of this depth and detail can sustain 500+ pages and keep the reader as engaged as though s/he were reading a thriller. This book is one of them.
   
   Some of Martin Meredith's talent is in describing the main characters. Portraits of Cecil Rhodes and Paul Kruger are masterpieces. His other talent is describing the settings for instance, the respective cultures of the settlers, the freewheeling diamond/gold rushes and the devastation of war. The marvelous descriptions sustain the reader through the dry but important financial dealings, military maneuvers, and legal complexities.
   
   There are very few women in this book. Queen Victoria gets a few mentions, as does a female novelist, Paul Kruger's traditional wife and a stalker attracted to Rhodes. The plight of the Boar women left homeless and confined in camps is addressed, but there is nothing of the native African women. Hopefully future historians will explore the lives and roles of women in this period.
   
   Two things about the history of South Africa are striking. One is how a very small number of people in key positions wanting war made it inevitable that many would suffer its devastating consequences. The other is the total racism of the Bible quoting Boars and the aquiescence of the British government to their racist demands. The Archbishop of Canterbury endorses what becomes the apartheid system with the salve to his conscience that the future will undo it.
   
   This is a sorry, sorry story. It is a story of the making and execution of a completely unnecessary war and a step by step degradation of a native population.



2. If you're interested in African history, this is one good read. It can get a little dry in parts but the book receives high marks for its thoroughness, biographical detail and detailed maps. Although it covers only about 40 years of South Africa's history, much of what transpired during the late 1800's established life in South Africa for much of the next century. It's really a dual biography of Cecil Rhodes and Paul Kruger and their influence on this former out-of-the-way British colony. If you like to read about how great fortunes are made and the machinations and manuevering behind them, this "in-depth examination" of Cecil Rhodes' life is a good primer.



3. What illuminating reviews preceed mine! I am a South African and never before have I had the privilege of reading a more fair-minded and factual treatment of the history of my own people.It reveals South African history, its strenghts and weaknesses, with equal objectivity. The exciting and rolicking pace never lets up. Read this book, as they say in the classics.



4. Great book, and a great buy... I read it in a couple of days it kept me hooked.
   It is very well written, and extremely interesting! I suggest anyone interested in Africa should read it.
   
   The book mainly centers on the diamond, gold magnates such as Rhodes, Beit etc.
   But it talks about the founding of Rhodesia, and South Africa.



5. Very insightful and educational book on a subject I knew very little of. I would highly recommend it to anybody wanting to learn more about early South African history.