Lost Trails of the Transvaal by Bulpin, T.V.
Lost Trails of the Transvaal (Premium Stephan Phillips Africana Series Edition)
A Beautifully Illustrated, Epic Historical Chronicle of the Early Frontiers, Tribes, and Wilderness Safaris of the Old Transvaal
A Beautifully Illustrated, Epic Historical Chronicle of the Early Frontiers, Tribes, and Wilderness Safaris of the Old Transvaal
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Lost Trails of the Transvaal
- Author: T.V. Bulpin (Thomas Victor Bulpin)
- Publisher: Stephan Philips, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 2002
- ISBN-13: 9780958424752
- Edition Details: Revised and Expanded Edition, First Impression. Released as a featured volume in the highly collectible Stephan Phillips Africana Series.
- Binding: Publisher's original premium heavy-gauge pictorial flexible card wrappers with deep gatefold French flaps (gatefold softcover).
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 240 x 165 mm, 364 pages plus a comprehensive cross-referenced index section. Richly illustrated with historic line drawings, frontier sketch maps, archival portrait prints, and decorative chapter headings.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Wraps: The original pictorial card wrappers are exceptionally flat, square, and bright. The colors are highly saturated, and the gatefold French flaps are crisp. The spine remains completely straight, rigid, and uncreased, indicating minimal, highly careful reading use. Very light, microscopic storage friction present along the immediate corner tips.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, clean, and tight. Internal pages, maps, and historical line art are bright white, crisp, and immaculate. Free of standard user highlighting, previous owner ink inscriptions, holiday stamps, or dog-ears.
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The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)
- Presentation: This premium volume was issued in a gatefold softcover format without a paper dust jacket. The copy is meticulously protected within a clear protective cellophane cover to safeguard the wrappers from future shelf friction and preserve its excellent condition.
Synopsis & Historical Value
First published in 1956, Lost Trails of the Transvaal is universally celebrated as one of T.V. Bulpin’s absolute greatest narrative masterpieces. This beautifully produced 2002 edition, released as part of the esteemed Stephan Phillips Africana Series, presents Bulpin's complete text alongside stunning illustrations, revitalized for modern collectors of South African history.
First published in 1956, Lost Trails of the Transvaal is universally celebrated as one of T.V. Bulpin’s absolute greatest narrative masterpieces. This beautifully produced 2002 edition, released as part of the esteemed Stephan Phillips Africana Series, presents Bulpin's complete text alongside stunning illustrations, revitalized for modern collectors of South African history.
In this epic volume, Bulpin walks the reader through the dramatic history, wild landscapes, and long-forgotten paths of the old Transvaal frontier. The book details the complex histories of the various indigenous tribes who originally settled the territory, tracking the migrations of King Mzilikazi and the dramatic initial encounters with Voortrekker leaders like Louis Trichardt and Andries Potgieter. Bulpin captures the raw spirit of adventure and untamed exploration that defined the region, bringing to life the chaotic gold rush days of Pilgrim’s Rest and Barberton, the dramatic British Annexation, the First Anglo-Boer War, the explosive birth of Johannesburg, the Swazi court of King Mbandeni, and the political fireworks of the Jameson Raid. Blending rigorous historical research with the page-turning pace of an adventure novel, this out-of-print series reprint stands as an essential cornerstone item for serious history buffs, overlanders, and Africana collectors.
Author Profile: T.V. Bulpin
Thomas Victor ("T.V.") Bulpin (1918–1999) was one of South Africa’s most legendary, prolific, and widely read travel authors, historians, and wilderness chroniclers. Over an adventurous career spanning half a century, he wrote nearly thirty bestselling books and more than two thousand articles on African hunting traditions, frontier history, and hidden trails—including classics like The Ivory Trail, Hunter's Tracks, and Tavern of the Seas. Bulpin was famous for his tireless lifestyle, driving hundreds of thousands of kilometers across rough unpaved roads to interview eccentric outcasts, map hidden landmarks, and collect oral folklore. His incredible legacy balances rigorous archival research with an accessible storytelling charm, ensuring his books remain highly prized, investment-grade classics for nature lovers and book collectors worldwide.
Thomas Victor ("T.V.") Bulpin (1918–1999) was one of South Africa’s most legendary, prolific, and widely read travel authors, historians, and wilderness chroniclers. Over an adventurous career spanning half a century, he wrote nearly thirty bestselling books and more than two thousand articles on African hunting traditions, frontier history, and hidden trails—including classics like The Ivory Trail, Hunter's Tracks, and Tavern of the Seas. Bulpin was famous for his tireless lifestyle, driving hundreds of thousands of kilometers across rough unpaved roads to interview eccentric outcasts, map hidden landmarks, and collect oral folklore. His incredible legacy balances rigorous archival research with an accessible storytelling charm, ensuring his books remain highly prized, investment-grade classics for nature lovers and book collectors worldwide.
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