Boer War

One hundred years after the Boer War, the British continue to debate what went wrong, while the war has significant nationalist overtones in today's South Africa. This book examines changes in interpretations of the war and provides a bibliography of major sources on the Boer War, now sometimes called the South African War. The bibliography focuses on the military history, but also includes some historical accounts of the political debate. The first part of the book provides an extended historiographical essay, while part two provides an annotated bibliography of the titles discussed in part one.Historiographical questions concerning the Boer War are numerous. Discussions of military operations focus on the early use of modern weaponry and the effect of guerrilla tactics on a traditional force, while other historians debate the question of British military leadership and organization. Questions also revolve around British imperialism and the scramble for Africa. Frequently called the second war for freedom by South African authors, the war was the reason that South Africa, unlike other British colonies, gained independence without majority rule. This makes the war of continuing relevance to the turmoil in South Africa, the collapse of the minority government, and the continuing problems of the current government. This book will provide a useful tool for those wishing to research the war.

.,."well-produced and useful to anyone with a strong interest in the 1899-1902 conflict in South Africa."-H-Net Review, ?...well-produced and useful to anyone with a strong interest in the 1899-1902 conflict in South Africa.?-H-Net Review, ?[E]xtremely valuable and should be the first port of call for anyone embarking on a history of Britain's most extensive and costly colonial war.?-War in History, ?[I]f you are interested in the Boer War, then this excellent book is worth every penny....a pure delight to use....Get the book and your knowledge of the Boer War will be exemplary.?-The Military Historical Society, ?I can recommend this book.?-Military History

FRED R. VAN HARTESVELDT is Professor of History at Fort Valley State University. He is the author of The Battles of the Somme: Historiography and Annotated Bibliography (Greenwood, 1996) and The Dardanelles Campaign, 1915: Historiography and Annotated Bibliography (Greenwood, 1997).