Complete History of the South African War, 1899–1902 Author: F. T. Stevens
Complete History of the South African War, 1899–1902 (Collectible Contemporary Hardcover)
The Meticulous, Comprehensive, and Highly Sought-After Turn-of-the-Century Chronicle of the Boer Campaign, Issued in the Original Gilt-Emblazoned Red Cloth Binding
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Complete History of the South African War, 1899–1902
- Author: F. T. Stevens
- Publisher: W. Nicholson & Sons, Limited, London / Wakefield
- Publication Date: 1903
- ISBN-10: None Issued (Pre-ISBN Era)
- ISBN-13: None Issued (Pre-ISBN Era)
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing (Contemporary Trade Release). Published immediately following the conclusion of hostilities to provide a complete overview of the campaign.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium scarlet cloth-bound hardcover architectural boards, beautifully decorated with an elaborate gold gilt military emblem on the front face and a bright gilt-titled spine. Offered as found without a paper dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 350 pages. Elegantly enhanced with a rich collection of full-page portrait plates of key imperial and republican commanders, battlefield engravings, and comprehensive chronological indices.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Good to Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Covers: Good to Very Good (G/VG). The original publisher's bright red cloth binding is beautifully preserved, remaining exceptionally straight, solid, and structurally square. The panels show only standard, minor handling wear and light storage friction along the corners and tips. The ornate gold gilt military emblem on the front face and the gilt typography along the spine remain remarkably bright, sharp, and highly reflective.
- Interior: Very Good (VG). The internal text block is solid, tight, and robustly bound. In complete accordance with the typical paper stocks utilized in London during the early Edwardian era, the inner text pages show a uniform, slight natural aging and gentle browning across the entire book block. The pages and historical portrait inserts remain crisp, flat, and entirely free of user highlighting, ink annotations, thumb-soiling, tears, or dog-ears.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in London in 1903 by W. Nicholson & Sons, F. T. Stevens's Complete History of the South African War, 1899–1902 stands as an invaluable and highly comprehensive contemporary record of the conflict. Compiled immediately following the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging, Stevens captures the entire trajectory of the war while the memories and official war office records were completely fresh.
Published in London in 1903 by W. Nicholson & Sons, F. T. Stevens's Complete History of the South African War, 1899–1902 stands as an invaluable and highly comprehensive contemporary record of the conflict. Compiled immediately following the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging, Stevens captures the entire trajectory of the war while the memories and official war office records were completely fresh.
The narrative provides a detailed, sequential overview of the campaign, bridging the political fractures of the Uitlander franchise crisis with the opening conventional battles. Stevens covers the heavy imperial losses during "Black Week" (including Stormberg, Magersfontein, and Colenso), the high-stakes relief operations of the famous besieged towns (Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking), and Lord Roberts's subsequent sweep through Bloemfontein and Pretoria.
Crucially, the later chapters provide an early, detailed look at the grueling guerrilla phase, tracking Lord Kitchener's controversial blockhouse and scorched-earth tactics against the mobile Boer commandos. Renowned for its absolute precision, wealth of troop data, and classic turn-of-the-century prose style, this bright red gilt first printing is an indispensable centerpiece for serious military historians and advanced collections of rare Anglo-Boer War literature.
Author Profile: F. T. Stevens
F. T. Stevens was a meticulous British military chronicler, historian, and compiler active during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. Specializing in immediate, long-form journalistic records of British imperial operations, Stevens was celebrated for his ability to synthesize complex, multi-front military dispatches, operational casualty returns, and frontline interviews into cohesive, highly dramatic, and accurate popular histories. His objective data tracking and clear narrative pacing earned his publications deep respect among contemporary military families and archival researchers alike.
F. T. Stevens was a meticulous British military chronicler, historian, and compiler active during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. Specializing in immediate, long-form journalistic records of British imperial operations, Stevens was celebrated for his ability to synthesize complex, multi-front military dispatches, operational casualty returns, and frontline interviews into cohesive, highly dramatic, and accurate popular histories. His objective data tracking and clear narrative pacing earned his publications deep respect among contemporary military families and archival researchers alike.
boer war collectible book complete history south african war ft stevens nicholson sons 1903 rare book anglo boer war scorched earth lord roberts siege of mafeking conventional campaign red cloth used copy gold gilt military emblem aging paper stock