Throwing Down White Man: Cape Rule and Misrule in Colonial Lesotho, 1871-1884

by Peter B. Sanders

Surrounded by South Africa lies the small, independent kingdom of Lesotho, and this book explores how the Basotho people came to preserve this autonomy from powerful neighbors in the Gun War of 1880-81. One of several wars in southern Africa at the time, the Gun War was different in one, all-important respect: the whites were humiliatingly defeated, or at least decisively held at bay. Presenting oral traditions and archival sources with meticulous care, this history lays bare the narrower interests and conflicting perspectives among the Basotho chiefs and the local officials as well as the larger forces at work in the region. Compelling and absorbing, this study of the Gun War will interest historians and academics alike.

306 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look into Lesotho's history. I read this book before visiting the country! I recommend this book to anyone studying South African history.