Louis Botha: A Man Apart by Steyn, Richard
Louis Botha: A Man Apart (Standard First Edition)
A Pristine, High-Utility Library Copy of Richard Steyn's Acclaimed Political Narrative
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Louis Botha: A Man Apart
- Author: Richard Steyn
- Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers, Johannesburg / Cape Town
- Publication Date: 2018
- ISBN-13: 9781868429226
- Edition Details: First Edition, Standard Softcover Issue
- Binding: Original publisher's premium heavy-gauge illustrated card wrappers with French flaps (gatefold softcover).
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 312 pages. Fully supplemented with historical campaign maps and central gloss photographic galleries.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Wraps: The outer wraps are bright, flat, and structurally sound. The illustrated gloss elements are crisp, and the spine remains unbent, clean, and entirely uncreased. Only minimal, light edge-rubbing from standard bookstore storage shelves.
- Interior: The text block is completely square, firm, and unread. Interior pages are clean, bright white, and entirely free of inscriptions, library stamps, highlighting, or annotations.
- The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)
Synopsis & Historical Value
In Louis Botha: A Man Apart, former editor and historian Richard Steyn delivers a gripping, objective portrait of a natural leader caught between two eras.
The book traces Botha’s meteoric rise on the battlefield during the Anglo-Boer War—where his leadership at Colenso and Spioenkop cemented his reputation as a military mastermind—through to his difficult political work crafting the 1910 Union of South Africa. Steyn explores how Botha's policy of conciliation with the British Empire, while praised internationally, caused immense political fractures among his fellow Afrikaners, making this an essential text for understanding the deep roots of 20th-century South African politics.
Author Profile: Richard Steyn
Richard Steyn is a celebrated South African biographer and veteran newsman who served as the long-time editor of the Natal Witness and Editor-in-Chief of The Star. Known for his sharp, objective, and deeply human character studies, his military-political biographies are widely considered essential texts for understanding the complex motivations of South Africa’s early leaders.
