Books about Afrikaner from Amazon.com

"A history of the Afrikaners from the first European settlement to the present day written by a proud and even patriotic Afrikaner who is nevertheless critical in its approach and untainted by African nationalism. It includes an account of the origins and demise of apartheid that must rank as the most sober, objective, and comprehensive we have." --J. M. Coetzee.
Price: $33.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

• South Africa, Boers and Zulus – guaranteed to generate popular interest

• Unique approach – no other single volume history covers the key developments across Southern Africa in the first half of the 19th Century.
• Clarifies confusing and contentious debate on the Mfcane which has raged for last decade and a half.
• Includes anecdotes and stories which illustrate historical processes described.
• Major historian of Southern African history.
• Easy-to-follow chronological structure connects major themes in the narrative.
• No previous knowledge necessary - latest thinking is presented in accessible language.

The end of Apartheid and the beginning of democracy in South Africa demands a new kind of history. This deeply original approach to the making of modern South Africa will transform current thinking on the subject.The mass migration of the Boer farmers from Cape Colony to escape British domination in 1835-36 - the Great Trek - has always been a potent icon of Africaaner nationalism and identity. For African nationalists, the Mfecane - the vast movement of the Black populations in the interior following the emergence of a new Zulu kingdom as a major military force in the early 19th century - offers an equally powerful symbol of the making of a nation. With their parallel and contested visions of populations on the move to establish new states, these two stories became part of divided South Africa's separate mythologies, treated as unconnected events taking place in separate universes. For the first time, in this groundbreaking book, accounts of both migrations are brought together and examined: the histories of all the movements of people and their leaders in the 19th century are told. In uniting these separate visions of African and Afrikaner history, Norman Etherington provides a fascinating picture of a major turning point in South African history, and points the way for a new kind of South African history for the future.

Norman Etherington has published widely on South African and Southern African history and politics. He has spent long periods travelling and working in South Africa. He lives in Australia where he is Professor of History at the University of Western Australia..
Price: $89.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Their lifestyle of hunting for sport and profit honed the Boers' skills of field-craft, horsemanship, and marksmanship, making them a formidable force in the field and well suited to guerrilla operations. This book describes the life and combat experiences of a typical Boer in this key period. Using meticulously researched analysis and comment, and the experiences of a composite character, Johannes de Bruyn, a revealing portrait of Boer life and military operations is drawn. The actions at Laing's Neck, Majuba, the Zulu Civil War and the Second Anglo-Boer War are covered in this packed and informative treatment..
Price: $10.11 [Notify me when price goes down.]

History lies heavily on South Africa, and Adam Hochschild brings to bear a lifetime's familiarity with the country in an eye-opening work that blends history and reportage. Hochschild looks at the tensions of modern South Africa through a dramatic prism: the pivotal nineteenth-century Battle of Blood River -- which determined whether the Boers or the Zulus would control that part of the world -- and its contentious commemoration by rival groups 150 years later. This incisive book offers an unusual window onto a society that remains divided. In his epilogue, Hochschild extends his view to the astonishing political changes that have occurred in the country in recent years -- and the changes yet to be made..
Price: $2.29 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Scapegoats of the Empire- by George Witton tells the story of court martial of Harry -Breaker- Morant.
Harry Morant was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, poet, and soldier whose renowned skill with horses earned him the nickname -The Breaker - Articulate, intelligent, and well-educated, he was also a published poet.

During service in the Second Boer War - 1899 to 1902,- Morant was responsible for shooting prisoners of war, which he claimed he was ordered to do. Morant and the author George Witton and one other were court-martialed by the British Army.

In the century since his death, Morant has become a folk hero in Australia. His story has been the subject of several books and a major Australian feature film

This book was originally published in 1907 but was suppressed by the Australian government. (There is no right of freedom of the press in Australia - even today). Many copies of the Scapegoats of the Empire were burned and for a long time the book was unavailable. Prior to its reprint in 1982 there were only seven copies of the book which had survived in various Australian libraries and in the possession of Witton's family.
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Price: $3.19 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Those who enjoy historical fiction will find Quest for the Promised Land an exciting read. Set in 19th century South Africa amidst the Afrikaner fight for independence, this book will provide a background for understanding today's South Africa..
Price: $14.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]