Title: Anglo-Boer War (South African War) 1899-1902
Subtitle: A historical guide to memorials and sites in South Africa
Author: Jackie Grobler
Genre: South African History Guide
Publisher: 30 Degrees South Publishers (Pty) Ltd
Pinetown, South Africa 2020
ISBN 9781928211297 / ISBN 978-1-928211-29-7
Softcover, 21 x 25 cm, 368 pages, 1200 b/w photos and maps
Anglo-Boer War (South African War) 1899-1902: A historical guide to memorials and sites in South Africa, is an extremely well-researched field guide and reference book provides both scholars and lay readers with the first detailed overview ever published of the war as seen through its memorials in South Africa. The guide offers concise factual background information, and information pertinent to all those who are interested in the memorials of the war. The practical approach of the guide is supported by the inclusion of GPS coordinates, providing added value to local and international tourists.
The extensive references and source list testify to the exceptional scholarly merit of this work. The 1200 photographs are the result of thorough field work, and the index is a handy quick reference. Information is provided on well-known places of remembrance, and on obscure graves and monuments to now forgotten generals and soldiers. The author has included an important and detailed section on memorials dedicated to black people's participation in the war, and provides information on the location of black concentration camps, and on civilian casualties. It is hard to believe that it took more than a century for the first comprehensive publication of this nature to appear.
It is appropriate that it coincides with the 118th anniversary of the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. Anglo-Boer War (South African War) 1899-1902: A historical guide to memorials and sites in South Africa makes a valuable contribution to South African historiography as a whole and to our knowledge of the Anglo-Boer War in particular. A good example of Jackie Grobler's innovative style can be found in The War Reporter: The Anglo-Boer War Through the Eyes of the Burghers, which offers a fresh way of portraying almost a virtual history.
Jackie Grobler is a senior lecturer in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies, University of Pretoria. He holds a D.Phil degree in History. He has written twelve books on historical topics ranging from resistance politics in South Africa to socio-economic and military history. Jackie Grobler has co-authored or contributed chapters to a further seven books and has written numerous articles on historical topics which have been published in either academic journals or in newspapers and magazines.
