South Africa: A Narrative HistoryIn this epic narrative Frank Welsh explores South Africa's eventful history through the clash and engagement of cultures -- tribal, Afrikaner, and British, among them -- that have made this nation on the tip of Africa not only the most powerful country on the African continent but also the most controversial. South Africa: A Narrative History begins in pre-colonial times, when South Africa was home to the now extinct Bushman, and ends with Nelson Mandela's last year of power as the first black leader of the post-apartheid nation. Among the seminal events that take center stage in this drama are accounts of the Jameson Raid, the Great Trek, the Zulu Wars and the Boer War, and the struggle of the African National Congress for legitimacy and political power. Welsh, the author of A Borrowed Place: The History of Hong Kong which the New York Review of Books called "a magnificent, much-needed and compendious history", has now written an essential book on South Africa, a book for anyone wishing to understand the historical and economic underpinnings beneath the present day realities. |
Contents
The Fairest Cape | 1 |
Early exploration | 3 |
An Inn on the Road to the Indies | 21 |
Copyright | |
29 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
accepted annexation apartheid attempted Basuto Basutoland became Boer Botha Britain British government burghers Caledon Cape Colony Cape Town Carnarvon cattle century Cetshwayo chief civil Colonial Office Colonial Secretary colonists Coloured command communities Council Dingane Dutch elected English English-speaking established European farmers farms fighting force franchise frontier Governor Graaff-Reinet Grey Griqua Hertzog Hofmeyr Hottentots hundred Imperial independent Indian insisted Jabavu Johannesburg Kaffirs Khoikhoi Kimberley Kruger labour land Landdrost later leaders liberal London Lord majority Malan Mandela ment Merriman mfecane Mfengu Milner missionaries Moshoeshoe Natal Natalian National Nationalists native Nguni non-whites Orange Free Orange River parliament Party political population Potgieter President Pretoria Prime Minister protection remained Republic Rhodes settled settlement settlers Shaka Shepstone slaves Smuts society Sotho South Africa Stockenström successful territory Thembu thousand traditional Transvaal trekkers Tswana Vaal Volksraad voortrekkers vote Xhosa Zulu