There are many excellent books about the Boer war. Unfortunately some of them are only available in second hand bookshops. Nevertheless, it can be a lot of fun searching through old archieves and dusty shelfs. We were able to find some real treasures that way.

Listed below, in no particular order, are some of our favourite books about the Boer war(s):

Thomas Pakenham - “The Boer War” (1979)

Thomas Pakenham - “The Struggle for Africa” (1991)

Oliver Ransford - “The Battle of Majuba Hill” (1967)

Oliver Ransford - “The Battle of Spion Kop” (1969)

V.E. d´Assonville - “Majuba” (1996)

P.J. Haythornthwaite - “Uniforms of the Boer War” (1987)

Deneys Reitz - “Commando” (1929) (a classic)

Fransjohan Pretorius - “Life on Commando” (1999)

Fransjohan Pretorius - “The Anglo-Boer War” (1985)

Jan Smuts - “Memoirs of the Boer War” (1994)

Martin Marix Evans - “The Boer War” (1999)

Anthony Baker - “Battles and Battlefields” (1999)

Pieter G. Cloete - “The Anglo-Boer War a Chronology”

Christiaan de Wet - “Three Years´ War” (1902)

Darrell Hall - “The Hall Handbook of the Anglo Boer War” (1999)

Pam McFadden - “The Battle of Talana” (1999)

Pam McFadden - “The Battle of Elandslaagte” (1999)

SB Bourquin - “The Battle of Colenso” (1999)

Gilbert Torlage - “The Battle of Spionkop” (1999)

Steve Watt - “The Battle of Vaalkrans” (1999)

Steve Watt - “The Siege of Ladysmith” (1999)

Ken Gillings - “The Battle of the Thukela Heights” (1999)

JH Breytenbach - “Commandant Danie Theron” (1955)

JH Breytenbach - “Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog” (1966)

Asked about our most favourite books, we would have to say, that one simply can´t go passed Pakenham and Hall for the most and best possible information. Ransford is fun to read and gives some good inside views on the British. Cloete is a must for anyone who appreciates to the point information and a wider picture about what happened on a day to day basis.

De Wet and Reitz are pure classics. Written just after the war, they give the best possible inside view of the Boer Republics. Goosebump material!

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