South Africa and the Transvaal War by Louis Creswicke
South Africa and the Transvaal War by Louis Creswicke
Published: T.C. & E.C. Jack, Edinburgh, 1900
South African and the Transvaal War in 6 volumes (255 x 185 mm), over 1600 pages, colour frontispiece in each volume, 64 colour plates, 61 sepia portraits, numerous black & white illustrations, 77 maps - 5 folding, original pictorial khaki coloured cloth - soiled and with chipping at the top and bottom of some spines, corners worn, some soiling tanning and spotting of pages, especially on the front and last pages of each book, contents generally good.
Overall very good preserved, considering its age of about 122 years.
Volume 1 - From the Foundation of the Cape Colony to the Boer ultimatum of 9 th October 1899.
Volume 2 - From the Commencement of the War to the Battle of Colenso, 15 th December 1899.
Volume 3 - From the battle of Colenso, 15 th December 1899, to Lord Robberts's advance into the Free State, 12 th February 1900.
Volume 4 - From Lord Roberts' entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree.
Volume 5 - From the disaster at Koorn Spruit to Lord Robberts's entry into Pretoria.
Volume 6 - From the occupation of Pretoria to Mr Kruger's departure from South Africa, with a summarized account of the guerrilla war to March 1901
These six volumes cover the war from start to finish-Covers the war from a very patriotic, British perspective until March 1901.
" Creswicke's Transvaal War series has a reputation, for being remarkably jingoistic even in an era when that was the norm. That said, I had lots of fun reading it and following the progress of the Boer Wars through a text that was written contemporaneously with it, and published very soon after. It's also liberally sprinkled with photographs, color plates, and dramatic illustrations relating to the war.
And in case you were wondering, Creswicke taught me that the Boer War was won because every Briton (and Canadian and Australian) did his duty, no one complained despite starvation and being forced to live partly or fully underground in the sieges of Ladysmith and Mafeking, every officer was brave, every soldier was loyal and unyielding, every woman put on a cheery mien, and the British are an indomitable race.
In the words of Queen Victoria, "We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist."
