The Historical Karoo: Traces of the Past in South Africa's Arid Interior

by Chris Schoeman

To many people, the Karoo represents nothing more than a monotonous, hot and arid landscape to be driven through quickly on the way to somewhere else. But in this vast, open region, history is everywhere. And that is exactly the purpose of The Historical Karoo – to point out all the many places, buildings, objects and associated personalities of historical interest in the Karoo.

The Karoo has been the world of travelers, literary figures (Olive Schreiner and Rudyard Kipling), statesmen and politicians (Sir Winston Churchill) and medical pioneers (Dr Chris Barnard). It has also been the scene of serious conflict, of which the many old British blockhouses, forts, grave sites and memorials dating from the Anglo-Boer War are vivid reminders; and it still boasts old examples of vernacular and industrial architecture, and engineering, in the form of corbelled houses, water mills and bridges.

The Historical Karoo takes you on a journey through the Karoo, providing short background histories of its towns and pointing out the sites, buildings and other aspects of interest. The book is enlivened by historical and current photographs and interesting side panels. It reveals the history that can be found in the barren Karoo in towns, buildings, forts, memorials and other historical sites.

220 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2013

About the author

In boeiende vertelstyl laat Chris Schoeman met sy deeglike navorsing gebeure uit die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis wat nie durf verlore gaan nie, herleef én voortleef. Sy boeke sluit Churchill’s South Africa: Travels during the Anglo-Boer War, The Historical Karoo, Angels of Mercy: Foreign Women in the Anglo-Boer War, Brothers in Arms: Hollanders in the Anglo-Boer War, Vegter en Balling: Boereoorlog-ervarings van veldkornet Charles von Maltitz en Os: Die Outobiografie in. Rebel, die lewe van kommandant Hans Lötter het in 2019 by Pretoria Boekhuis verskyn.

Reviews

[Langa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It brings the historical aspect of the Karoo to the fray. There's lots of interesting history in it and it takes the reader on a trance regarding how nostalgic and mesmeric the region is.

There is also a litany of facts that you have to double check due to historical confusion from duplicated superlatives such as oldest, highest, tallest, longest etc.

One question I had while reading the book was, "Why are there, otherwise regular and mundane, historical feats, discoveries and developments occurring inland a century and a half or even longer after the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope? The humorous aspect of the question is, "What was happening in Cape Town?"

It is a good book indeed!