As the last few thousand British and American troops leave Afghanistan this month, after almost 20 years, there was an interesting comment in a letter to the Telegraph: ‘the alliance would do well to reflect on the words of the former coalition...
I was recently told by one True Believer / Defender of the Myth that he would never read any of my books ‘on principle’. I asked him if that was the ‘principle of not wanting to learn anything about the Boer War’, and he...
I’ve become aware of an amusing character who has taken to Facebook in a desperate attempt to rubbish my books. Why he doesn’t actually research and write a book of his own is unclear, but his efforts online are always worth a laugh. In a...
I was recently made aware of an article in a South African history group newsletter, entitled: Who (and what) started the Anglo Boer War / South African War? Though the aim of this article is claimed to be to answer the question: ‘Was the ZAR...
There is a fascinating article by Sherelle Jacobs in today’s Telegraph, mainly about the never-ending drama of Covid etc, but also on the subject of free speech and the challenging of so-called ‘orthodox’ ideas: Although it...
I recently enjoyed an entertaining exchange of view with an entertainingly fanatical True Believer / Defender of the Myth, so I thought it might be interesting to explore the mindset of one who adopts such a position. Why, for example, do such...
Anything written by John Elsegood usually raises a laugh, as he never lets historical reality get in the way of maintaining Apartheid-era myths of Boer victimhood and British aggression. I was recently sent a link to this article of his...
Honour Britain’s imperial troops as heroes of empire What the critics often ignore is the fact that many of the black and Asian troops who fought in both world wars were salaried volunteers ZAREER MASANI26 April 2021 • 7:50am Many people...
Though I avoid social media like the plague, I was recently sent this article which apparently appeared on Facebook...
This had obviously passed me by as the country lurches from one alcohol ban to the next, but I was astounded to read that many of the most illustrious regiments of the South African army have been re-named, thus all but ending their long and...
First impressions of the book are excellent: it is very nicely produced and both looks and feels to be a fine tome, and one which would grace the shelf of any Boer War enthusiast. It is a shame, therefore, to see some of the same tired, old myths...
Quora is a fun site but is, alas, often frequented by idiots with a violently anti-British axe to grind. A recent exchange with one such buffoon illustrates this perfectly: The question was flawed before we even began as, of course, the Boers did...
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