Victorian Colonial Warfare: Africa from the Campaigns Against the Kaffirs to the South African War - Softcover

The 'small war' was a particularly Victorian concern. Its course was followed with avid interest by the general public. Every setback and victory, every act of courage and cowardice was recorded and illustrated in the popular press. Nowhere was this more true than in Africa, where small wars came in three distinct types: campaigns of conquest or annexation; campaigns for the suppression of an insurrection, such as those in East and West Africa, where many campaigns began as simple expeditions and ended by bringing vast territories under British rule; and campaigns to avenge an insult, designed to impose control without annexing territory. Donald Featherstone, an acknowledged expert on colonial warfare, has written a vivid and accurate account of the small wars in Africa, drawing heavily on the letters and first-hand reports of those who were there. The book was described by the Journal of the Royal Artillery as 'wide ranging ... well researched and excellent...'