The Rand at War 1899-1902

Diana Cammack provides a rich and readable account of events in the city of Johannesburg that led to the Anglo-Boer War, and she enhances our understanding of both the effects of British imperialism at the turn of the century and the development of the unique racial order of contemporary South Africa. Incorporating social, political, and military history, this work covers events on the Rand during the final year before the war including the flight of well over a hundred thousand black and white refugees in a few weeks of panic; refugee life at the coast; and work, politics, and life on the Rand and in the city between October 1899 and May 1902. Drawing on varied sources, the author provides new information for the specialist, including material on the infamous "Uitlander grievances," the motives and machinations of the Rand agitators, their role in Rand reconstruction, and their relationship with the British high commissioner, Sir Alfred Milner. The wealth of detail enhances the readability of the book which recounts this interesting period of South African history.