Two Generals

Book excerpt: The Boer Wars that occurred at the end of the nineteenth century involved nearly 450,000 British troops and over 60,000 Boers. They were the largest wars Britain had ever waged before the two World Wars. They have been extensively covered by writers in Britain and South Africa. Almost all of the writers addressed the conflict from the viewpoint of either the Boers or the British. Two Generals tells how the commanders of the two armies confronted each other on the battlefield. It seeks to describe the action from both viewpoints. In this way it is unique. Recent developments in South Africa have put the events at the turn of the last century in a new perspective. The imperial attitude of the British rulers in South Africa and the stubbornness and conservative attitudes of the Boers can be seen to have contributed to the problems that persisted there throughout the twentieth century. The author has taken a fresh approach to the conflict, presenting it in an even-handed way and setting the outcome in the context of developments during the last hundred years in South Africa.