The Real Rhodesia – Ethel Tawse Jollie
The Real Rhodesia (Premium Rhodesiana Reprint Library Series Copy)
The Pivotal, First-Hand Political and Social Compendium of the Transition from Chartered Company Rule to Responsible Government
The Pivotal, First-Hand Political and Social Compendium of the Transition from Chartered Company Rule to Responsible Government
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Real Rhodesia
- Author: Ethel Tawse Jollie (Mrs. Ethel Tawse Jollie, O.B.E.)
- Publisher: Books of Rhodesia Publishing Co., Bulawayo
- Publication Date: 1971
- Series Profile: Featured explicitly as Volume Nineteen in the highly prestigious Rhodesiana Reprint Library Series.
- Edition Details: Facsimile reproduction of the scarce original 1924 London edition, expanded with a new comprehensive publisher's introduction, series index, and archival frontispiece.
- Binding: Publisher's original deluxe full cloth boards with crisp gold-stamped spine lettering and series motifs, topped with the characteristic series-illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 222 x 145 mm, xvi + 311 pages plus a dedicated photographic archive section. Illustrated with an author portrait frontispiece, early colonial settlement photographs, and folding economic data tables.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Boards: The original structured cloth binding is in spectacular condition, remaining completely flat, square, and structurally flawless. The gold-stamped series motifs on the spine remain deep, bright, and reflective. The corners are sharp, showing only minimal storage shelf friction.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, exceptionally tight, and immaculate. The internal page signatures, index lists, and archival photo inserts are clean, clear, and firmly attached. Free of standard user highlighting, foxing, or dog-ears.
- Provenance: Features a neat contemporary gift inscription penned on the verso of the front cover (preliminary leaf), adding a touch of personal history while remaining entirely non-intrusive.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior: Present and beautifully stabilized. The pictorial series jacket exhibits standard, light age-appropriate shelf wear and surface rubbing along the borders and spine caps. The presentation is now safely preserved within a fresh, clear archival cellophane cover, which guards the paper from future shelf friction and ensures an excellent display on the shelf.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Originally written in 1923 and published in 1924, The Real Rhodesia is widely considered one of the most critical and influential primary source political works ever written on the sub-Zambezi colonial frontier. This sought-after 1971 facsimile reprint, issued forty-eight years later as Volume Nineteen in the famous Rhodesiana Reprint Library Series, preserves the precise text of Jollie's observations on the eve of the territory's historic assumption of Responsible Government after thirty-three years of British South Africa Company (BSAC) chartered administration.
Originally written in 1923 and published in 1924, The Real Rhodesia is widely considered one of the most critical and influential primary source political works ever written on the sub-Zambezi colonial frontier. This sought-after 1971 facsimile reprint, issued forty-eight years later as Volume Nineteen in the famous Rhodesiana Reprint Library Series, preserves the precise text of Jollie's observations on the eve of the territory's historic assumption of Responsible Government after thirty-three years of British South Africa Company (BSAC) chartered administration.
Jollie explicitly frames her work around the concept that the true history of the land is contained in the direct records of its settlers—their raw frontier struggles, structural hopes, financial failures, and domestic social successes. The text performed an invaluable historical service by interpreting the unique characteristics of the population to the outside world, crystallizing their distinct political aspirations at a crucial moment of transition. Spanning chapters on early mining concessions, the complexities of agricultural expansion, and the social topography of pioneer towns, this out-of-print series volume remains an indispensable cornerstone item for serious Rhodesiana collectors, constitutional historians, and elite Africana bibliophiles.
Author Profile: Ethel Tawse Jollie
Mrs. Ethel Tawse Jollie, O.B.E. (1874–1950) was one of the most brilliant, politically significant, and talented female figures of the post-pioneering period in southern Africa. Elected to the former Legislative Council in 1920 as the representative for the Eastern Districts, she went on to serve as an official member of the first Southern Rhodesian parliament from 1923 to 1927. This landmark appointment secured her legacy as the first woman ever to sit in a British Empire Parliament. An arresting, fiercely independent, and outstanding personality, her fluent and impressive contributions to early legislative debates were heavily marked by deep archival study, economic precision, and a remarkably broad attitude of mind, establishing her as a foundational pioneer for women in global governance.
Mrs. Ethel Tawse Jollie, O.B.E. (1874–1950) was one of the most brilliant, politically significant, and talented female figures of the post-pioneering period in southern Africa. Elected to the former Legislative Council in 1920 as the representative for the Eastern Districts, she went on to serve as an official member of the first Southern Rhodesian parliament from 1923 to 1927. This landmark appointment secured her legacy as the first woman ever to sit in a British Empire Parliament. An arresting, fiercely independent, and outstanding personality, her fluent and impressive contributions to early legislative debates were heavily marked by deep archival study, economic precision, and a remarkably broad attitude of mind, establishing her as a foundational pioneer for women in global governance.
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