How Kimberley was held for England

How Kimberley was held for England.

This narrative of the siege of Kimberley, written by Henry Clement Notcutt, offers a clear, accessible account of how an ordinary town endured 124 days of isolation, bombardment and scarcity during the Anglo-Boer War. Structured around a detailed chronology of events from October 1899 to February 1900, it traces the coming of the Boers, the proclamation of martial law, and the tightening ring around the diamond fields.

Chapters cover many aspects of a besieged town: the work of the town guard and mounted forces, the life-and-death struggle over water, the first, second and third bombardments, and the improvisations that produced “Long Cecil”, the famous locally-built gun.

Notcutt pays careful attention to civilian experience – the sudden rise in food prices, the switch to horseflesh, shortages, disease and the strain on children – as well as the political and military debates that shaped the town’s fate.

The book also preserves important source material, including proclamations by Lieutenant-Colonel Kekewich and the powerful protest article “Why Kimberley Cannot Wait” from the Diamond Fields Advertiser, which led to the paper’s temporary suppression by the military censor. These voices allow readers to hear Kimberley residents arguing, pleading and organising as the siege drags on and hope for relief waxes and wanes.

This edition offers a lightly edited text, and a number of photgraphs and illustrasions have been added. A table of contents, list of illustrations as well as a detailed index have also been added. Teh book will appeal to Anglo-Boer War researchers, historians of Kimberley and surrounds, those with siege connections, as well as those seeking a well-written human-scale case study of urban warfare and civil resilience.

Language: English
Format: Downloadable PDF (± 2.5Mb)
Pages:   57

How Kimberley was held for England.

Hierdie relaas van die beleg van Kimberley, deur Henry Clement Notcutt, bied ’n helder en leesbare vertelling oor hoe ’n gewone dorp 124 dae van afsnyding, bombardement en skaarste tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog deurstaan het. Die boek volg ’n noukeurige kronologie van gebeure vanaf Oktober 1899 tot Februarie 1900, vanaf die aankoms van die Boere, die instelling van krygswet, tot die nouer-trekkende ring om die diamantveld.

Die leser word deur verskeie fasette van ’n beleërde stad geneem: die werk van die "Town Guard" en berede magte, die water probleem, die eerste, tweede en derde bombardemente, en die vindingrykheid wat gelei het tot die bou van “Long Cecil”, die beroemde tuisvervaardigde kanon.

Notcutt skenk besondere aandag aan die burgerlike ervaring – skielike prysstygings, die gebruik van perdevleis, tekorte, siektes en die spanning op kinders – sowel as die politieke en militêre besluite wat Kimberley se lot bepaal het.

Die boek bewaar ook belangrike bronmateriaal, waaronder proklamasies van luitenant-kolonel Kekewich en die kragtige hoofartikel “Why Kimberley Cannot Wait” uit die Diamond Fields Advertiser, wat tot die tydelike sluiting van die koerant deur die militêre sensor gelei het. Hierdie stemme laat lesers hoor hoe Kimberley-inwoners dink, smeek en organiseer terwyl die beleg voortsleep en hoop op ontsetting opvlam en verdwyn.

Die uitgawe bied ’n lig geredigeerde teks met ’n inhoudsopgawe, lys van illustrasies asook 'n deeglike indeks. Dit sal veral waardevol wees vir Anglo-Boereoorlog navorsers, belangstellendes in Kimberley en omgewing, dié met bande aan die beleg, asook diegene wat na 'n goedgeskrewe gevallestudie oor stedelike oorlogvoering en burgerlike uithouvermoë soek.

Taal: Engels
Formaat: Aflaaibare PDF (± 2.5mb)
Bladsye:   57