Life on Commando During the Anglo-Boer War – Fransjohan Pretorius

Life on Commando during the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902 is a comprehensive, ground-breaking study of a hitherto neglected aspect of the Anglo-Boer War. This multi-faceted faceted account, rich in contrasts, vividly portrays the real-life experiences of the Boer combatants during the war, dealing with the tragedy as well as the humour, the dramatic as well as the commonplace; the constant awareness of death as well as the pranks and the jokes. These burghers were no superhuman heroes, but ordinary mortals, prey, from time to time, to stubbornness and poor discipline, selfishness and dishonesty.

The four basic themes are: the physical and psychological experiences of the combatants, the the role of discipline, and attitudes to, and relations with, others involved in the war particularly women, blacks and fellow combatants.

The final chapter, The Bitter  End, explores three fundamental questions: Why did these burghers remain on commando till the very end? Why did the Boer leaders opt for peace? And what was the psychological effect of the Peace of Vereeniging on the burghers?

Life on Commando is eminently readable and absorbing.