Marching Over Africa: Letters & Graphic Sketches of Letters Author: Frank Emery

Marching Over Africa: Letters & Graphic Sketches of Letters (Collectible Copy)

The Vivid, Firsthand Letters and Sketches of Victorian Campaigns in South Africa

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Marching Over Africa: Letters & Graphic Sketches of Letters
• Author: Frank Emery
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, London
• Publication Date: 1986
• ISBN-10: 0340382910
• ISBN-13: 9780340382912
• Edition Details: First Edition. Ex-Library Copy (Somerset Oaks Library).
• Binding: Original publisher's full cloth hardcover binding, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket. Now stabilized and enhanced with a new plastic cover.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 204 pages. Features fascinating reproductions of hand-drawn field sketches, maps, and archival battlefield correspondence.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: The original boards are flat, clean, and rigid. The binding is structurally sound and square.
• Interior: The pages are remarkably clean, bright white, and crisp. Free of text underlining, highlighting, or dog-ears. Features a small, neat ink stamp reading "Somerset Oaks Library" on the introductory pages, providing a charming local South African provenance.
• The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Condition: The dust jacket is clean, unclipped, and remarkably free of fading or edge chipping. The small institutional library history is neatly managed, and the entire jacket is now housed in a new clear plastic cover, presenting beautifully on a display shelf.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Compiled by the brilliant researcher Frank Emery, Marching Over Africa is an invaluable collection of personal letters and field sketches sent home by British soldiers during the mid-to-late 19th century campaigns. The book focuses heavily on the grueling realities of the Anglo-Zulu War, the First Boer War, and various frontier conflicts.

Emery expertly pieces together eyewitness accounts from ordinary private soldiers and officers alike, giving readers an unvarnished look at frontier combat, camp diseases, and encounters with African societies. The inclusion of raw, hand-drawn graphic sketches from the battlefields makes this used collectible book a goldmine for military researchers seeking authentic primary source material.

Author Profile: Frank Emery

Frank Emery (1930–1987) was a distinguished Fellow of St Peter's College, Oxford, and a celebrated historical geographer. He specialized in compiling and analyzing the letters of Victorian soldiers, authoring highly praised volumes like The Red Soldier. His academic work is highly regarded for its accessibility and its unique focus on private correspondence archives rather than cold official dispatches.

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