Robert Jacob Gordon, 1743-1795: The man and his travels at the Cape - Patrick Cullinan

Binding Condition: Fine. Overall Condition: Fine.
First edition published by Struik in 1992. PUBLISHED by.  Struik Publishing Group (Pty) Ltd 1992
Fine unread condition. Illustrated.

Red cloth binding with gilt titles and slipcase. Appears to be an advance copy as a two page letter with header "For Immediate Release" from the publishers accompanies this volume.

Frontispiece portrait, 86 ills, 8 maps. In slipcase. Book itself in fine condition. Slipcase in very good condition with minor shelf wear to edges and a small tear on back upper corner.
Standard edition of 2500 unnumbered copies.

The comprehensive biography, of the remarkable eighteenth-century soldier, scientist and explorer Robert Jacob Gordon (1743-1795). It covers his early life, his explorations in southern Africa, his botanical studies and travel journals, his military service at the Cape, and concludes with his tragic suicide after the surrender of the Cape to the British 1795.

This is the first full-length biography, in any language of the remarkable eighteenth-century soldier, scientist and explorer Robert Jacob Gordon (1743-1795). It examines his early life, his explorations in southern Africa, his botanical studies and travel journals, his military service at the Cape, and concludes with his tragic suicide after the surrender of the Cape to the British 1795.

Though of Scottish descent, he was first and foremost a Dutchman, serving initially in the elite Scots Brigade and later with the Dutch East India Company, in whose service he rose to the rank of colonel and commanded the Cape garrison from 1780 to 1795. He was however much more than a military man.

Gordon travelled further and undertook more journeys than any other eighteenth-century explorer in Southern Africa. Of his six journeys, only the journals of the four made between 1777 and 1786 have so far come to light. It is these records discovered in 1964 after over 150 years of obscurity that provide the basis for this masterful study of Gordon the man.

Quoting extensively from his own translation of Gordons papers and journals, as well as from numerous contemporary sources, the author skilfully reveals a man of discipline, integrity and humanity, whose resourceful and inquiring mind was indefatigable in its pursuit of knowledge. It was Gordon, who named the Orange River; who provided the scientists of Europe with comprehensive details (including skins and skeletons) of such great creatures as the giraffe, hippopotamus and rhinoceros; who produced the most accurate maps of the region, introduced merino sheep to the Colony and discovered the remains of the Dias Padrao.

Gordons observations of animals he saw and anatomized the topography of the country side and its geology make absorbing reading today, as do his lively accounts of the indigenous peoples he encountered, whose languages he learnt and with whom he readily conversed, danced and sang. He was renowned in Europe for his contributions to natural history and was no less acclaimed by visitors to the Cape for his genial hospitality and astonishing personal museum.

Fluently and trenchantly written, in a style that will appeal to both layman and scholar, this thoroughly researched biography contains many new findings. It also provides fresh perspectives on a number of established facts and makes a significant contribution towards restoring Gordon to his rightful place among the great men of Enlightenment.

Robert Jacob Gordon is essential reading for all who enjoy historical biography or take a special interest in eighteenth-century Cape history, and it will undoubtedly be valued by collectors of Africana and fine illustrated books.

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