Soldiers and settlers in Africa, 1850-1918 /

This excellent collection of research essays examines the impact of soldiers, whether African or of European descent, on the history of Africa in the period. The focus is on southern Africa, though there is an interesting chapter on the press coverage of the Ashanti War by Ian Beckett, an intriguing account by John Laband of the failure to settle German mercenaries in the Cape, and a historiographic study by Bruce Vandervort that debunks the myth of the German Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck as the great master of guerrilla warfare in the fighting in East Africa during WW I. The opening essay is a masterly analysis by Tim Stapleton of the motivations and effectiveness of the Fingo (Mfengu) people as stalwart allies of the British in the 19th century. Laband and Paul Thompson continue the theme of African military participation against other Africans in their essays, and Bill Nasson tackles the neglected story of Africans who fought against Britain in the Boer War. The authors are a truly international bunch, drawn from universities in South Africa, Britain, Canada, and the US. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. E. Flint emeritus, Dalhousie University