Jan Smuts: Man of Courage and Vision

In this new biography, Professor Antony Lentin reassesses the life of one of South Africa's great leaders. Smuts was scholar, statesman and soldier with a career spanning half a century, but what was his lasting contribution? In the earlier half of his life, he focused his efforts primarily on the birth pangs and development of South Africa: the Boer Wars, the formation of the Union of South Africa, and South Africa's role in the First World War. Smuts also made significant contributions on the world stage. The author examines this role closely, paying particular attention to the Paris Peace Conference of 1918-19 where Smuts pleaded tirelessly to obtain more reasonable terms for Germany to avoid its gratuitous humiliation. Lentin argues that it was this magnanimity — Smuts' fight for international reconciliation — that should stand as his historical legacy.