There are No South Africans

There Are No South Africans by G. H. Calpin was published in 1941 by Thomas Nelson and Sons Limited, at a pivotal moment in South Africa's political and cultural history. Written during the Second World War, the book examines the deep divisions within South African society and challenges the very notion of a unified national identity. Calpin, a journalist and commentator known for his engagement with contemporary political debate, presents a provocative thesis: that the country's English- and Afrikaans-speaking white populations, along with its diverse African communities, had yet to coalesce into a single national consciousness.

In There Are No South Africans, Calpin explores the historical tensions between British imperial influence and Afrikaner nationalism, tracing their roots to the South African War and the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. He interrogates language, education, political allegiance, and cultural loyalty, arguing that competing identities prevented the emergence of a cohesive "South African" ideal. The book offers insight into wartime loyalties and internal political strains, particularly as South Africa participated in the Allied war effort under contested domestic circumstances.

Today, There Are No South Africans stands as a revealing historical document, capturing the anxieties and ideological debates of its era. For collectors of South African political history, wartime literature, or twentieth-century social commentary, this 1941 edition represents a thought-provoking and significant contribution to the ongoing discussion of identity and nationhood in South Africa.