The Boer War: The Struggle For South Africa

The Boer War was an extremely bloody conflict between the British Empire and the two independent Boer Republics in South Africa. Pitting the might of British imperialism against what were essentially colonies of farmers, it nevertheless took almost three years for the Boers to be defeated. The war saw the first use of concentration camps, by the British, who also employed a 'scorched-earth' policy, while the Boers invented the concept of the commandos. British success led to the creation of the Union of South Africa, which would prove a key ally in both world wars. Bill Nasson, Professor of History at the University of Cape Town, has fully revised and updated his standard history of the conflict, taking account of the most recent scholarship, and making use of Afrikaans sources as well as those in English. He places it in its historical context with other 'small wars', such as more recent ones in Suez and Iraq, making this an essential book not only for anyone interested in the Boer War, but also in colonial history more generally, and in Britain's overseas campaigns.