A mere twelve years after fighting the British in the Anglo-Boer War, Louis Botha went to war again – this time on Britain’s side. As prime minister of the Union of South Africa at the outbreak of the Great War, Botha agreed to lead his country on a campaign against the Germans across the border in South-West Africa. But first he would have to deal with a revolt from fellow Afrikaners who would rather take up arms against him than side with the old enemy.
Louis Botha’s War is the story of how a former Boer War general crushed a rebellion and rallied his country’s first united army to fight a better-equipped enemy in harsh conditions. It is a tale of thirsty men and horses trekking over miles of barren desert; German aviators flying above in rickety aeroplanes;...
Adam Cruise was born in Johannesburg and studied at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University. He is a travel writer who has published articles in a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as a book, In the Pursuit of Solitude, about a six-month journey through the remote recesses of southern Africa. He is also a conservation correspondent, whose commentary on signifi cant wildlife matters such as the current elephant and rhino crises has been widely publicised. He currently lives in Nice, France.
Read more