General Louis Botha on the Natal Front 1899-1900

General Louis Botha on the Natal Front 1899-1900


This detailed and engaging study, newly translated into English, offers an exciting account of the confrontation between the Boer commandos and the British army on the Natal Front from the beginning of the Anglo-Boer War in October 1899 up to the British relief of Ladysmith in February 1900. Chapters are focused on major battles including Talana, Colenso, Spioenkop, and Vaalkrans. The focal character is Louis Botha, of whom this book is also a partial biography: it traces his rise, all within the space of five months, from an ordinary burgher to Commandant General and details his accomplishments as military tactician. The book makes C. J. Barnard's meticulous research in the Dutch and Afrikaans primary materials available for English readers, and also offers revised maps and a rich trove of photographs, some never before published. AUTHOR: Johan Barnard was a historian specializing in the Anglo-Boer War, Military History, and the British Empire. He received M.A. degrees from the Universities of Stellenbosch and from King's College, London, and his D.Litt. et Phil from the University of South Africa, where he was a member of the History Department from 1962 to his retirement in 1987. Earlier in his career he was Chief Narrator (Land Forces) in the War Histories Section of the Prime Minister's Office and Cultural Attaché at South Africa House, London. He was an Honorary Life Member of the South African Military History Society. In addition to his work on Botha, he was the author of Die Vyf Swemmers [The Five Swimmers] (1988), an account of the escape of five Boer prisoners of war from a British ship in Colombo harbour in 1900 and their long journey back to their commandos. 100 b/w photos, 10 b/w maps