Mafeking Diary: A Black Man's View of a White Man's War Author: Sol T. Plaatje (Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje)
Mafeking Diary: Sol T. Plaatje – A Black Man's View of a White Man's War (Collectible First Thus Edition Hardcover)
The Historic, Groundbreaking, and Only Surviving Eyewitness Diary of the Siege Written by a Black South African Intellect and ANC Co-Founder
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Mafeking Diary: A Black Man's View of a White Man's War
- Author: Sol T. Plaatje (Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje)
- Editor: John L. Comaroff (with Brian Willan and Andrew Reed)
- Publisher: Southern Book Publishers, Johannesburg / Cambridge
- Publication Date: 1989 (First Edition Thus / Hardcover Release with this title/ISBN)
- ISBN-10: 1868122123
- ISBN-13: 9781868122127
- Edition Details: First Edition Thus (First Hardcover Printing by Southern Book Publishers).
- Binding: Original publisher's premium vibrant cloth boards with a crisp, titled spine, complete with the original illustrated paper dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 178 pages. Extensively enhanced with historical black-and-white archival photographic plates, structural layout maps of the Mafeking perimeter, editor's analytical notes, and a comprehensive bibliography.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth boards are remarkably crisp, rigid, and perfectly square. The corner tips are sharp, and the spine remains completely straight, solid, and undamaged. The silver/white spine lettering is fully intact and reflective.
o Interior: The internal text block is tight, clean, and beautifully preserved. The text pages, map plates, and photographic gloss inserts are crisp, white, and entirely free of user highlighting, annotations, dog-ears, library stamps, or common dealer marks. -
The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition: The original illustrated paper dust jacket is in an exceptional, collector-grade state, retaining its full color depth, crisp lines, and clean panels with only trivial, microscopic shelf friction at the spine tips. It contains no prominent sun-fading, tears, or edge losses. To permanently protect its pristine presentation, it has been freshly enclosed within a brand-new, archival-grade clear plastic sleeve.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Sol Plaatje’s Mafeking Diary is a document of enduring global importance, unparalleled fascination, and massive historiographical weight. Written under siege between October 1899 and May 1900 by a young, brilliant 23-year-old Tswana court interpreter, this text stands out as the only surviving diary of the entire Anglo-Boer War written by a black South African. For decades, both colonial powers and subsequent mainstream historians perpetuated the deep myth that the South African War was strictly "a white man's affair." Plaatje's sharp-sighted, deeply witty, and poignant daily records explode this narrative for all time.
Sol Plaatje’s Mafeking Diary is a document of enduring global importance, unparalleled fascination, and massive historiographical weight. Written under siege between October 1899 and May 1900 by a young, brilliant 23-year-old Tswana court interpreter, this text stands out as the only surviving diary of the entire Anglo-Boer War written by a black South African. For decades, both colonial powers and subsequent mainstream historians perpetuated the deep myth that the South African War was strictly "a white man's affair." Plaatje's sharp-sighted, deeply witty, and poignant daily records explode this narrative for all time.
The entries map out the brutal realities of the 217-day siege under relentless bombardment from the Boers' massive Creusot siege gun, "Au Sanna." Plaatje exposes the severe racial divides of the garrison under Colonel Baden-Powell, documenting how the local African population faced extreme starvation-related illness and unfair rationing while imperial horses were fed. Concurrently, it honors the decisive defensive contributions, scouting intelligence, and bravery of the local Barolong people. Discovered accidentally in 1969, this diary stands as a landmark in South African literature and a foundational act of independent black journalism, making it an essential centerpiece for advanced Anglo-Boer War collections and rare Africana libraries.
Author Profile: Sol T. Plaatje
Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje (1876–1932) was one of South Africa’s most distinguished political minds, linguists, human rights spokesmen, and pioneering literary figures. A master of seven languages, he worked as a court interpreter before becoming an influential journalist and editing Koranta ea Becoana, the nation's first wholly independent, black-owned newspaper. In 1912, Plaatje became a founder member and the very first General Secretary of the South African Native National Congress (which later became the African National Congress - ANC). Author of the monumental Native Life in South Africa and the classic novel Mhudi, his brilliant literary footprint established a foundational framework for modern accountability journalism and black political thought.
Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje (1876–1932) was one of South Africa’s most distinguished political minds, linguists, human rights spokesmen, and pioneering literary figures. A master of seven languages, he worked as a court interpreter before becoming an influential journalist and editing Koranta ea Becoana, the nation's first wholly independent, black-owned newspaper. In 1912, Plaatje became a founder member and the very first General Secretary of the South African Native National Congress (which later became the African National Congress - ANC). Author of the monumental Native Life in South Africa and the classic novel Mhudi, his brilliant literary footprint established a foundational framework for modern accountability journalism and black political thought.
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