“The flood of Boer War books continues unabated. Many are opportunistic rehashes of familiar works. One, however, stands out: THE ANGLO-BOER WAR – A CHRONOLOGY by Pieter G Cloete is original and enterprising.
The author has invested enormous energy in a literally day-by-day account of the course of the war (and a necessarily more cursory look at the year preceding its outbreak). For each day he tells us anything of relevance that occurred in each theatre of war as well as in Britain, Portuguese East Africa, St Helena or wherever. For Cloete this has clearly been a labour of love. The meticulous footnoting and cross-referencing give gravitas to a book that, enlivened by extracts from documents of the time, is also fascinating for the general reader to dip into. It reads almost as a diary and it is this novel approach that lifts A CHRONOLOGY out of the ordinary. This is a book to buy and enjoy.”
Betty Welz
THE CITIZEN
“The title of this book suggests a boring list of events. Quite to the contrary, it is a thorough, well-conceived and highly readable account.
It is thorough. Primary sources were not used because that was not necessary for the author‟s purpose of compiling a day-to-day record of the run-up to the war, the war itself and its aftermath. However, secondary sources were used to good effect to secure a really comprehensive report.
The day-by-day detailed account of events could have resulted in a hopeless jumble. The author obviated this danger by his well-conceived strategy of grouping events under regional, campaign and other headings, so it is easy to follow a particular thread, while not losing sight of synchronous developments.
The chronicle is enlivened by the use of the present tense; the inclusion of many portraits; the judicious use of quotations from a variety of sources and the inclusion of “trivia‟, designed to provide a wider perspective.
I have been very critical of many recent Boer War publications. This is one I can recommend.”
John Bojé
PRETORIA NEWS
“This book relates in chronological order with daily diary type entries the political and military events before and during the Anglo-Boer War.
The entries are grouped under regional, campaign and a variety of other headings, enabling the reader to follow specific events, campaigns and other aspects of the war. Where possible, direct quotes from speeches, letters, telegrams and the like have been used to keep events “live‟ as seen through the eyes of the participants.
A comprehensive record of the war, with black and white pictures of the Boer and British leaders. A must for those interested in the Anglo-Boer War.”
Lourens Schoeman
Eastern Province HERALD
“The publication is unique in that is the first comprehensive attempt in the 100 years since the outbreak of the war to provide a full chronological exposition of hostilities and related matters. The book relates the political and military events of the Anglo-Boer War in a strict chronological order, with diary type entries. It is carefully researched and provides a wealth of easily accessible detail to the specialist, as well as to the general reader. This is a valuable addition to the profusion of literature on the war.”
Patrick Leeman
THE MERCURY
“Een van die handigste naslaanwerke oor die Anglo-Boereoorlog wat die laaste tyd verskyn het, is Pieter Cloete se THE ANGLO-BOER WAR –A CHRONOLOGY. Hierdie boek bied die leser ‘n streng chronologiese, feitelike verslag van die oorlog.
Wat ook van groot waarde is, is die vergelykings tussen die Boere en Britte se wapentuig, ongevalle, strydmagte en ander vergelykende statistiese inligting, asook kwantitatiewe inligting oor die konsentrasiekampe.
… ‘n lofwaardige naslaanwerk. Skolier, student, leunstoelhistorikus en enige ander belangstellende in die oorlog sal dit kan benut om vinnig spesifieke inligting te bekom. Die uitgebreide indeks … stel mens boonop in staat om met relatiewe gemak byvoorbeeld die hoogtepunte in die loopbaan van ‘n spesifieke offisier na te slaan. Pieter Cloete verdien ‘n pluimpie vir sy bruikbare en kreatiewe bydrae tot die groeiende literatuur oor die Anglo-Boereoorlog.”
Dr Jackie Grobler (UP)
BEELD
“THE ANGLO-BOER WAR – A CHRONOLOGY is ‘n uiters volledige publikasie en ‘n baie belangrike een vir iemand wat in besonderhede en chronologies die oorlog volledig wil bestudeer. Dit is ‘n uitstekende naslaanbron vir diegene wat geskiedenis doseer of op die een of ander wyse moet weet wat op spesifieke dae in die oorlog gebeur het.”
Marianne Breytenbach
RADIO PRETORIA
“Oninteressant? Vervelig? Beslis nie! Deur meer as ‘n duisend inskrywings in dagboekformaat word in chronologiese volgorde die politieke en militêre gebeure ter aanloop en in die oorlog uiteengesit. Na die aanloop tot (en by implikasie dus ook sommige van die oorsake van die oorlog) by wyse van spreke afgetel is, … word die gebeure op al 963 oorlogsdae sover as moontlik onder streeks-, veldtog- en ander opskrifte kortliks weergegee.
Dit stel die leser in staat om ‘n uitstekende geheelbeeld van die veeldimensionele oorlog te bekom. Wetenswaardighede van ander gebeure ten tyde van die oorlog dra by om die leser ‘n beter perspektief te gee en die oorlog in wêreldkonteks te sien.
‘n Chronologie van ‘n oorlog (of enige ander historiese gebeurtenis) kan maklik in ‘n kliniese en vervelige boek ontaard. Dit is Cloete se boek beslis nie. Hoewel die werk feitlik deurlopend in dieselfde formaat gegiet is, het die skrywer homself genoeg ruimte gebied om ‘n bepaalde gebeurtenis (meestal veldslae) kort en bondig dog behoorlik te beskryf. Die feit dat daar meer as ‘n honderd toepaslike illustrasies, insluitende kaarte is, maak die werk ook deurgaans interessant.
Aanhalings uit toesprake, briewe, telegramme en ander relevante historiese dokumente dra ook by tot ‘n boeiende leeservaring. … Dié boek is die eerste om ‘n baie volledige chronologiese uiteensetting van die oorlogsgebeure te gee. Deeglike navorsing is gedoen wat aan die algemene leser, student en navorser ‘n magdom inligting op ‘n toeganklike wyse bied.
THE ANGLO-BOER WAR: A CHRONOLOGY is Cloete se debuut. Hopelik is dit nie sy laaste nie.”
Prof André Wessels (UOVS)
DIE VOLKSBLAD
“Die leser wat belangstel in die oorlogsgeskiedenis van sy streek sal ongetwyfeld belangrike inligting in hierdie boek vind. … Dit is deeglik nagevors en verskaf ‘n groot verskeidenheid maklik toeganklike besonderhede vir die spesialis en die gewone leser.”
Willie Bienedell
DIE AFRIKANER
“Veral die boek van Pieter G Cloete, THE ANGLO-BOER WAR: A CHRONOLOGY, het die oog getref. Baie geluk met die verskyning hiervan. Die inhoud is van hoë gehalte en die boek self is netjies versorg. Ons is trots om ‘n besitter van ‘n eksemplaar te wees.”
Dit stel die leser in staat om ‘n uitstekende geheelbeeld van die veeldimensionele oorlog te bekom. Wetenswaardighede van ander gebeure ten tyde van die oorlog dra by om die leser ‘n beter perspektief te gee en die oorlog in wêreldkonteks te sien.
AC Groenewald, Kurator NASIONALE AFRIKAANSE LETTERKUNDIGE MUSEUM
