Boer War

The Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) is one of the most intriguing conflicts of modern history. In this award-winning book, Martin Bossenbroek brings a new perspective to this chapter of South African history, critically examining the involvement of the Netherlands in the war. Unlike other accounts, the author explores the war primarily through the experiences of three men uniquely active during the bloody conflict. They are Willem Leyds, the Dutch lawyer who was to become the South African Republic state secretary and eventual European envoy; Winston Churchill, then a British war-reporter; and Deneys Reitz, the young Boer commando. The vivid and engaging experiences of these three men enable a more personal and nuanced story of the war to be told, and at the same time offer a fresh approach to a conflict that shaped the nation-state of South Africa. Th is English edition, masterfully translated from the Dutch by Yvette Rosenberg, follows Jacana Media's publication of the Afrikaans translation of the book in October 2014 (Die Boereoorlog). The book was first published in the Netherlands in 2013, where it was a bestseller and went on to be shortlisted for the preeminent AKO Literature Prize and win the National Dutch History Prize 2013. Both the English and Afrikaans volumes serve to cement the critical acclaim already received by Mr Bossenbroek in his homeland and off er the South African reader the chance to savour his storytelling powers.

The Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) is one of the most intriguing conflicts of modern history. In this award-winning book, Martin Bossenbroek brings a new perspective to this chapter of South African history, critically examining the involvement of the Netherlands in the war. Unlike other accounts, the author explores the war primarily through the experiences of three men uniquely active during the bloody conflict. They are Willem Leyds, the Dutch lawyer who was to become the South African Republic state secretary and eventual European envoy; Winston Churchill, then a British war-reporter; and Deneys Reitz, the young Boer commando. The vivid and engaging experiences of these three men enable a more personal and nuanced story of the war to be told, and at the same time offer a fresh approach to a conflict that shaped the nation-state of South Africa. Th is English edition, masterfully translated from the Dutch by Yvette Rosenberg, follows Jacana Media's publication of the Afrikaans translation of the book in October 2014 (Die Boereoorlog). The book was first published in the Netherlands in 2013, where it was a bestseller and went on to be shortlisted for the preeminent AKO Literature Prize and win the National Dutch History Prize 2013. Both the English and Afrikaans volumes serve to cement the critical acclaim already received by Mr Bossenbroek in his homeland and off er the South African reader the chance to savour his storytelling powers.