Excellent read over a turbulent history. This is just a quick note in office hours without even time for an edit. I came to this book accidently. I was actually revieving monetary systems and gold. This book came into view quite accidentally. I can without doubt say that it has been the best read I have had over the last year- without question. As an Englishman I am sorry to say that I did'nt know hardly anything regarding the history of southern Africa and yet I am far more knowledgable on general world history than most people. This book opened... more info
a clear, credible, informative yet entertaining account Drawing from over 40 years of experience in the region, Meredith highlights the long term effects resulting from the making of South Africa. This is a highly readable account of South Africa's modern history from the possession of the Cape Colony in 1806 to the launching of the Union of South Africa in 1910. A brief epilogue summarises subsequent events up to the release of Mandela in 1994. The book focuses on the struggles between British, Boer and Black communities that preceded modern South Africa;... more info
This book made me angry and ashamed - but read it, please! I have read several books (though certainly not enough) about South Africa: 'The Great Boer War,' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; 'The Corner House,' by A.P. Cartwright; 'The Randlords,' by Geoffrey Wheatcroft; 'White Tribe Dreaming,' by Marq de Villiers; 'The Boer War,' by Thomas Pakenham; and 'The Covenant,' by James A. Michener, but until I got into my latest purchase, 'Diamonds, Gold and War,' by Martin Meredith, I was not entirely sure why I had become more than sympathetic to the old Boers and to... more info
A fine chronicle of ignoble times. It is always worth reminding or indeed educating oneself about Imperial era African history not only because it sheds light on the state of that continent today but also because such a dramatic series of events involving nation-building, colonial expansion and suppression of the rights of an indigenous population cannot but have resonance with today's various conflicts also. As an introduction for a reader with scant knowledge of the topic, Meredith's work warrants five stars. Scholars may treat the book... more info
