JAN SMUTS and his International Contemporaries (Pres. Copy Signed by Author).

Geyser (O.). JAN SMUTS and his International Contemporaries (Presentation Copy Signed by Author). Covos Day, 2001. First Edition. "Many biographies have been written of Jan Smuts but none have achieved so close an examination of the interpersonal and political relationships of Smuts as Professor Ockie Geyser has portrayed in Jan Smuts and his International Contemporaries. This exceptional study of Smuts covers a broad period of history: from 1888 when Smuts was indirectly in contact with Cecil John Rhodes to 1948, thus spanning the period of the Anglo-Boer War and the two world wars. Although Smuts is said to have had a reserved nature, his versatility was undoubtedly and important part of his complex personality. This versatility attracted people's attention from all spheres of life. Jan Smuts and his International Contemporaries provides an analysis of the relationships that placed Smuts in a prominent position in the councils of the world. His insight into world affairs and his exceptional intellectual abilities made him a sought-after confidante and advisor to several governments, politicians, and distinguished leaders worldwide. In a time when people tend to ignore history and how things came to be the way they are today," International Contemporaries included Cecil John Rhodes, Alfred Milner, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Eamon de Valera, the Windsors, Charles de Gaulle and Adolf Hitler, all of whose paths crossed that of Jan Smuts. 257pp., b+w ills. Very Good. Author's inscription and signature appears on title-page. Pictorial Wrappers.