In the shadow of death

In the shadow of death

     (Die Afrikaanse weergawe is hier beskikbaar.)

In the shadow of death is the updated and reorganised English version of General Pieter Hendrik Kritzinger’s vivid, first-hand account of the Anglo-Boer War, "In die skaduwee van die dood". The events described play out in the midst of the danger of the conflict that reshaped South Africa. Unlike a day-by-day diary, the narrative is carefully shaped: events and reflections are grouped to help the reader grasp the bigger movement of the war, the decisions that had to be made, and what those decisions cost. This combination gives the book much of its power.

While he writes as a Boer who grieves the loss of independence, Kritzinger unequivocally states his purpose for writing the book: to let justice prevail for both sides, and to unite and reconcile two Christian nations who are destined to live together in one country.

The title proves painfully apt as the story moves through hard campaigning and close-quarter fighting, and then into the author’s own wounding and a dramatic court-martial that placed his life in the balance. Spanning antecedents, major engagements, operations into the Cape Colony, the circumstances of surrender, and broader reflections on the war and the Boer fighter, the book offers both gripping narrative and thoughtful interpretation.

Illustrated with portraits and diagrams, this searchable electronic edition (in PDF format) also includes a comprehensive index for ease of reference, and is comprised of the following chapters:

• Preface;
• Antecedents;
• Dark Days;
• Engagements (incl. Stormberg, Sanna's Post and Mostertshoek);
• In tight corners;
• To the Cape Colony;
• Wounded;
• Court-martialled;
• Why we surrendered;
• The Boer as seen in the light of the war;
• The rising in the Cape Colony;
• War incidents; and
• Index.

The Table of contents can be downloaded here.

Language: English
Format: Downloadable PDF (± 2.5Mb)
Pages:   199