The War Diary of Johanna Brandt edited by Jackie Grobler | Anglo-Boer War | As New

The War Diary of Johanna Brandt edited by Jackie Grobler | Anglo-Boer War | As New

The Anglo-Boer War diary of Johanna van Warmelo (Brandt) is an exact reproduction of the original diary, with footnotes by Jackie Grobler. The book also contains many interesting photographs of the Van Warmelos and other relevant people and places. Johanna’s diary gives the reader a unique insight into the Anglo-Boer War and into the way in which an intelligent, fiercely loyal Boeremeisie experienced the war. Johanna was not content to sit on the sidelines and became involved in the Secret Service, helped Boer spies when they entered Pretoria and served in the Irene Concentration Camp as a nurse where she became known as a harsh critic of this British system. Johanna’s secret diary, originally written using lemon juice, reveals how she managed to outwit the British military and how her sense of duty compelled her into taking action when anyone else may have retreated to saver ground. Her love diary, on the other hand, shows us a different person, one who fell in love with a man whom she met briefly years before and how the romance grew through correspondence. When reading the diary, it is at times almost impossible to think of Johanna, the secret service agent, and Johanna the lovesick Boer girl, as the same person. This diary is truly a remarkable book and one that no one should miss.