Kimberley: Belmont/Graspan/Modern River/Magersfontein

by Lewis Childs

Who were the underdogs who took on British Imperial forces - and beat them? How could an old farmer who had beaten them before (Piet Cronje), and a middle-aged farmer, who did not want to fight them anyway (De La Rey), embarrass Queen Victoria's high officers like Lord Methuen? When did the most powerful man in Africa enable the capable commandant to hold out - while blighting his career?Why did the Queen's crack regiments turn their backs on the enemy? What lessons in application, patience and loyalty to oath given does Tommy Atkins give to us, in the 21st century? Who were the modern figures that still live through their letters and diaries in Regimental Archives, in spite of being dead. How could the Boers justify shelling civilians, or the British of all people not know that women and kids were dying in concentration camps?When did the accepted European Rules of War get turned over for ever? Why, when Bobs is nothing but a statue, and Rhodes the ghost of a chancer, does it matter? The Seige of Kimberley answers all these questions and more in a readable and authoritative way

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 1990

Reviews

[Bill38silver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a curious mixture of history and tourist guide. Part of the Battleground series, in this case published in 2001, it focusses on an area of action in the the Boer War leading up to the siege of Kimberley. However, it is spliced uncomfortably with a rough guide on how to get to the main locations in the text, where to find assistance from locals, including accommodation, how to keep safe etc. Unless you are visiting the site of the battles and siege with a 176 page book in hand, you are unlikely to find this format of much practical help.

For those with some knowledge of this now largely forgotten last Victorian conflict, this book will tread familiar ground. A large number of small black and white photos show the past and more recent scenery, and more helpfully include many portraits of the senior officer participants. The most interesting half of the book, and the part that whets the appetite for further reading, is the final sections relating to the siege of Kimberley.

This book is a well written account but other books delve deeper into the detail of the day to day deprivations of the residents, the part played by Cecil Rhodes, and Lt Colonel Kekevitch, the long suffering commander of Colonial Forces in the region.